Riot in Johto
by MiniMeani
Summary: Well, what do we got? Old heroes, old enemies - all thrown together in a new story. A fanfic, basically :D So, yeah - just check it out and have fun!
1. Danger, Confusion and a Pichu

Alright, my first fic in English, my first fic about Pokemon and those two specifically. This story was inspired by r. k. Oujirou, if you have any interest, read his story. Also I want to warn you: I'm not a native English speaker. Me German being. So, I hope you don't mind some errors in the language, but I'll make sure to get better over the time.

And now, enjoy :D

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The screech of a wild Noctowl echoed through the nightly Ilex Forest. The sky was clouded and little moonlight enlightened the ground. Bushes and tall trees, partly hidden under dark shadows, lined the small path, which led to an unknown destination.

This was the way a lost Dawn with her Pokemonpartner Piplup followed, growing more and more anxious as the forest only seemed to deepen more than to lighten up. For hours they had walked around without taking more than a few breaks and the little penguin Pokemon already showed its weariness by stumbling over little rocks. Dawn wasn't feeling any better, nevertheless she picked up the water type and went on.

A small sigh escaped her lips as Piplup shot her a tired look.

"I know, Piplup. I'd love to rest, too, but remember, there is still our contest to win!" Dawn tried to motivate her partner but without success. The little penguin just turned its head and muttered its name. Although she understood her Pokemon's feelings, although her legs began to ache and she wanted to sleep badly herself, that attitude unnerved her. "Come on, I already said, I'm sorry!" She shot a quick glance on the tiny map of her Poketch. "And wasn't not my fault. How could I have known that there was a nest of Beedrill? Or that an Ursaring would be sleeping behind those bushes? Oh and I don't even wanna think about those Stantler –"

Suddenly the rustle of some bushes startled the two companions. Dawn froze in the middle of her movements and looked in the direction the sound came from. Piplup almost jerked out of her arms, only her good reflexes could keep it from falling.

Just mere seconds later a shadow appeared on the path and almost bumped into Dawn. Surprised, she jumped back and tried to make out the silhouette, which stood before her. The humanlike shape was clear to see, but without enough light Dawn couldn't make out the stranger's face.

But they had a good view on her features illuminated by the moonlight. A hiss cut through the air and a more or less familiar voice exclaimed "You!".

Surprised Dawn blinked a few times, then narrowed her eyes, trying to see anything in the darkness. "Ah... do I know you?" The voice was clearly that of a woman and the coordinator was sure, that she knew it. She just couldn't remember from where...

But she didn't need to wonder for long, as the stranger took a few steps forward until she was illuminated by the light, too. Almost jumping back, the terrified Dawn put some distance between her and the woman. She had recognized her as soon as she saw the silver hair and grayish blue eyes, glaring at her fiercely.

"Pokemon Hunter J!"

Confusion, shock and a bit of fear could be seen on Dawn's expression that moment, as countless questions raced in her mind.

_How is this possible? J died! She died five years ago at Lake Valor! And now she's here in the middle of the Ilex Forest! What am I supposed to do? What is she even doing here?!_

As soon as Dawn thought about the reason of J being there she took another step back and reached into her pocket for a Pokeball.

"I don't know what Pokemon you stole this time, but you won't get away with it!" She exclaimed and glared at the huntress.

J clearly wanted to reply something but was cut short by an inhuman screech, which let the girl cringe. In anticipation of a sudden attack, Dawn faced the direction the sound came from and let her guard drop for an instant. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw a fast shadow moving towards her. Something hit her side but instead of pain, there was an arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her behind a huge oak. A gloved hand covered her mouth as well as Piplup's beek and J hushed in her ear to be silent.

At first Dawn wanted to resist, but she stopped her struggle soon herself, as she heard the closer coming steps of a man hurrying through the bushes and onto the path. The soft noise of flapping wings accompanied his panting and curses.

"Damn, where did that woman go?! Golbat, let's search in that direction!" The Golbat let out an approving screech and soon the noises of the two disappeared in the distance.

Dawn let out a relieved sigh. Past events taught her not to trust cursing people with Golbats, especially not in the middle of the night. That was the main reason she and her Piplup did not fight the huntress, although she could see her Pokemon ready itself for a strong Peck attack.

Just before it could make use of this attack though, J released the two and shot them an annoyed glare. Then she turned around and faced the path, almost as if she looked out for more people to appear. That unusual behavior of hers started to worry Dawn. She couldn't recall J to hide from her enemies, she rather faced them head-on with her Pokemon, which were not there either.

Hesitantly she asked the huntress a question. "Uhm... Who exactly was that person?"

She didn't really expect an answer. When it came, though, she was even more surprised by the mere fact, then the words itself. "A member of Team Rocket."

"Team Rocket? But why? Did you steal a Pokemon from them?"

J snorted. "If it was so easy..." She muttered and faced Dawn once again. The blue haired girl didn't have a clue, what was going on in the hunter's head and soon the piercing glare was beginning to unnerve her. She then noticed the headset, which was placed on J's forehead instead of her eyes. Lowering her gaze Dawn looked at the dark grey cannon on J's arm. It had a rather huge crack on its surface and looked unusable.

Dawn frowned. Just what was going on? She remembered some members of Team Rocket like Jessie, James and Meowth. But it was impossible for them to cause that much damage to the infamous huntress, wasn't it?

Before Dawn could get a clear view on J's clothing, which appeared to be victim of a rampage, too, the silver haired woman caught her attention. "Where are you going, girl?"

Taken aback from that question, Dawn just blurted out with an answer. "Uh... Goldenrod City. Our next contest is there, tomorrow."

J blinked. Then she raised a brow and looked at the girl in disbelief.

"Goldenrod City? Are you serious?" Confused, Dawn frowned at J's reaction. The huntress pinched the bridge of her nose and let out an impatient sigh. "You must be lost. Goldenrod City is on the other side of the forest. It's a two-days-walk away, but-"

She was interrupted by a rather loud shout of a shocked Dawn. "Two days? But my contest is tomorrow and-"

The huntress quickly covered her mouth and let out an annoyed hiss, not wanting the girl to attract any attention. "_But _we can make it, if we run. I haven't planned on being stuck in this forest for more than one night."

At first Dawn wanted resist, but yet again she was lost in her confusion, which didn't seem to end too soon. She could feel, how J removed her gloved hand from her mouth and for a few seconds, there was nothing she could do, expect of blinking.

Obviously J was getting irritated by the silence, but before she could say anything, Dawn finally found her voice again.

"You just said 'we'..."

"Yes. I will guide you out of the forest. In return you trust me and follow my orders. Got it?" Her voice sounded a little annoyed, but there was no hint, whether this was a trap or not. Dawn frowned and took a step back, never letting her eyes of the huntress.

"Why would you help me out? Are you planning some kind of trap?" She could only guess, what J wanted, but that answer made most sense to the bluehaired girl. J rolled her eyes, her impatience was growing more and more.

"What would I want with you? Or your Pokemon?" She was fast to point out, when Dawn was about to say something. "Look, girl. I don't want to waste anymore time, so decide quickly. Either you follow me and get to your contest savely or I knock you out. I can't take any risks by letting you walk around on your own. If Team Rocket catched you, you might reveal where I went to.

Now, descide quickly or else!"

Dawn was still a little baffled. J was willing to help her? Why? She was not satisfied with the reason, either. If so, it would still be much faster, just knocking the girl out, wouldn't it?

Dawn didn't have anymore time to wonder, though. J made an annoyed hissing sound and clenched her hands into fists. A little startled by that the young coordinator staggered backwards, until she hit a tree. "Okay, okay, I come with you! Just don't hit me, okay?"

J let out a sigh, which sounded somewhat relieved. The bluehaired girl could not tell. Usually her empathy was really good, but that night she was just to tired for it. The adrenaline of being together with one of the most wanted criminals was only effecting her body and rational thinking. And right now it was better to trust her enemy, then getting knocked out by her in the middle of the forest, Dawn figured and followed J walking deeper into the wood.

"Don't forget my condition. You'll have to trust me and follow my orders. Got it?" J didn't even wait for a reply and just walked on through the brush. Dawn didn't like the thought of trusting the Pokémon Hunter, but she didn't have too many options to choose.

So she tried to follow closely behind, which was a rather difficult task that took all of Dawn's concentration. The shrubs were thick and her skirt short. For what felt like the hundredth time, she told herself not to wear that kind of clothes in a forest. Her legs always looked like a mess afterwards, but somehow she kept forgetting it.

With Piplup in her arms she had even more problems to keep up with the quick pace J had. A small hiss escaped her lips, when she felt some branches slice into her skin. The pain and annoyance of her struggle almost made her forget the presence of the infamous hunter. And so she didn't notice the look full of disbelief J threw over her shoulder back to the girl.

Five minutes later they finally reached a cleared path, which was lit by a little moonlight. Dawn let out a relieved sigh. Their journey through the forest had not even began, but the tired girl was already unwillingly to do anymore steps forward. J didn't help her situation at all, in fact, she spoilt her mood even more.

"What kind of tourist are you, running around in a skirt? You have already been travelling years ago, haven't you? You should think, people learn," J exclaimed with an irritated voice. She received an annoyed glare.

"Says the woman, who keeps up hunting innocent Pokemon, even after her ship was blown up!" Dawn was certainly not in the mood for being insulted. At that moment she did not even care about the consequences her reply would earn her, although the dark expression on J's face put some fear back into the girl.

"You should be grateful. I will ignore your comment, now. Don't dare to try that again!" She turned around and took a first step forward. She then mumbled something under her breath, something Dawn barely heard. "And I'm not here to hunt any Pokemon down."

J turned her head and faced the girl once more. "We will run from here on. Don't fall back or I might reconsider my decision earlier." With that said the huntress rushed down the path, leaving Dawn no time to react. After some hesitation, she followed the older woman as well as she could. It was difficult for her to keep up with J's faster pace, yet alone catch up to her.

But the monotonous rhythm of the run helped Dawn gather her thoughts and so she tried to look through her situation, while she watched the back of the huntress the whole time.

_All right... I'm in the Ilex Forest, in the middle of the night and I'm not alone. Apparently, Team Rocket is here and worst of all, J! I really thought, she died! The police officers said so!_

Dawn did not mind J being alive, no matter how cruel she was. The girl was not the type of person to wish others death, she couldn't even imagine despising anyone that much. But finding out about that in such circumstances was hard to swallow, although it wasn't the worst part.

The mere fact that J had offered her help to the lost Dawn was shocking her most. What could have been her motive? The excuse with Team Rocket sounded absurd, even in the ears of the tired girl. She still wondered, whether she was about to run into a trap. Maybe J took that as opportunity to ask for some kind of reward and Dawn didn't even want to think about the huntresses ideas of an equal pay.

She clutched Piplup closer to her chest and shot it a brief glance. It had a confident look in its eyes and nodded assuringly at its trainer. If they had to fight, the little penguin would be ready for it. However, Dawn wasn't as optimistic as her partner was.

Although she did think about an attempt to escape, she couldn't help but ponder on all the odds against them. J was a lot faster than her and could catch her only seconds later. Her unbelievably strong Pokemon were the next nearly insuperable obstacle. No confidence in the world could deny their power and the tiredness of Dawn's own party. And even if she managed to escape, what would happen next? She had still no clue, where she was and with Team Rocket around, there would be no time to find her way out, either.

No matter how she looked at the situation, the young coordinator had to stay with the huntress for the sake of her and her Pokemons' safety.

Dawn managed a small, crooked smile at Piplup before she turned her attention back to her temporary guide. There was something else on her mind and although there wasn't too much light to see clearly, she knew that something happened to the huntress. She remembered her battered appearance well and to her chagrin worries began building up inside her. She didn't enjoy seeing people suffer and looking at J she noticed a little abnormality in her steps. It was as if she slightly limped on her right leg. The silver haired woman did not show any kind of reaction, but the empathetic girl was sure it hurt.

_I shouldn't care about it! She probably deserves it... After all, I have other problems to worry about. Like my legs!_ She thought and bit her lip. It was true. After walking around for hours, that sprint was pushing her to her limits. Her legs were burning and cried for a break. It felt, as if there wouldn't be enough air for her lungs pretty soon. Who knew, how long they would stay that way? Dawn didn't even know, if J really led her to Goldenrod City.

So many doubts and questions were already troubling her, but she simply couldn't shake of the worries about J. Sometimes Dawn was to kindhearted for her own good.

_I guess it can't be helped_. She thought and despite her aching legs she increased her pace until she was on the same level as J. She called out the hunters name and immediately received an annoyed glare.

"Are you all right?" Obviously, that question took the silver haired woman by surprise. She batted her greyish eyes at the girl, her expression showing some confusion. "I asked, whether you're all right. You're limping. Is your leg hurt?"

"Don't be ridiculous," J snapped at her as soon as she regained her composure. "I am fine. If you want a break, forget it. You do remember, what I said, don't you? Hold me back and you will face the consequences."

Dawn let out a sigh. She simply nodded and fell back a bit. Had she really expected a proper answer? Now her legs burned even more because of the little extra effort. She wanted a break badly, but she didn't want to risk J knocking her out, either. Not only would she miss her contest, during the run she had completely lost orientation and she didn't want to spend anymore time in the Ilex Forest. So she gritted her teeth and tried to ignore the burning sensation.

But eventually all the threats were futile. Not even ten minutes later Dawn's body reached a level of exhaustion, when it simply refused to take anymore steps. She came to a halt and fell down to her knees, panting. She could hear J slowing down and soon approaching her.

"I don't care, if you knock me out... I can't go on, I need a break..." Dawn squeezed her eyes shut in anticipation of the pain of a sudden hit. Instead she heard the soft noise of something lowering itself to the ground.

"Fine. A few minutes won't hurt, I guess."

Baffled, Dawn blinked a few times. "What?" She looked at the Pokemon Hunter with a shocked expression. The older woman sat calmly and leant against a small wooden building behind her back. Her eyes showed no emotion, as she repeated her words loud and clearly for the dumbfounded girl.

Dawn just kept blinking. She watched the huntress relax a bit, until she felt save enough to do the same. Hesitantly, she put down Piplup, which immediately took a protective stance in front of its trainer. As nothing happened she let out a sigh of relief. She savored the refreshing feeling of the cool air on her heated skin.

Finally, she had the opportunity to find at least a clue of where they were. They had arrived at a huge glade, the first one Dawn had seen for the past few hours. A few paths led through the middle of it, each crossing in front of the wooden structure. It looked like a shrine and the blue haired girl recalled some details she heard, when talking to the people of Azalea Town about the Ilex Forest.

"Isn't this the famous Ilex Forest Shrine?" Dawn asked aloud, but didn't really expect an answer.

"Yes, it's the shrine of the guardian of the forest, Celebi," J stated and shifted her position a little. She still seemed to be relaxed, but that was about to change.

"Don't tell me, you're here to steal Celebi?!"

The silver haired woman stiffened, then exhaled slowly, She looked at Dawn and her Piplup, which took over a fighting stance, trying to look intimidating. "Look, girl. I'll tell you just this once: I am not here to hunt any Pokemon. Although I really have a grudge against those pathetic guardians" A sour look crossed her face. "I don't have any interest in Celebi. Or any other Pokemon around here."

"Why are you here, then?"

"That's none of your business, girl."

Dawn frowned. That "girl" was getting on her nerves, but she remained silent about it. Other questions were burning on her tongue and now, she felt, was the chance to find the answers.

"Why do you help me?"

"I told you, didn't I? If Team Rocket-"

"J, do you really think I would believe that? How stupid do you think I am?" She interrupted the huntress and frowned. Such an excuse would just not do for her. Dawn wanted an answer that would help her look through in the thick haze of confusion, she was caught in. "There has to be another reason and I want to know it."

J eyed the girl thoughtful for a moment, then crossed her arms in front of her chest and gave a simple and unsatisfying reply.

"That's still none of you business."

"It is! It's about helping _me_, right?"

"Wrong! You're asking about my reasons, but they are my concerns, not yours. I don't care about your motives and you should do the same," The huntress snapped back, obviously annoyed of the whole conversation.

A little taken aback, the young coordinator remained silent and just looked at the huntress, her expression clearly showing her discontent. Couldn't J be just a little more cooperative for at least once?

In contrary. J was already about to stand up. She angled her knees to push herself up from her sitting position.

"We've wasted enough time here. Let's -"

"Wait!" Dawn exclaimed and held an arm out. Annoyed, the silver haired woman shot her a glare, but stopped in her actions. The young coordinator was still tired, but that wasn't the main reason, she kept J from going on.

Dawn hesitated for a moment, than took all her courage together and slid right next to the huntress, even placing a hand on her leg and holding her down a bit.

"I know you're hurt..." She looked at J, who remained silent, neither admitting not denying her statement. "I mean... It will be bad, if we run again, right? It could slow us down," She tried to explain her concern reasonably. In fact, Dawn just wanted to ease the pain, both to feel better herself and to help J. "Just let me take care of it, okay?"

At first, the huntress didn't show any reaction, but then she slid down the wall and outstretched her leg. Dawn was relieved to see, that J didn't only remain seated but also let the bluehaired girl take care of her injury.

She took her yellow backpack and pulled out some bandages and medicine, as well as a flashlight. Carefully, she slid the lower part of J's right pant leg up and could already feel warm liquid on her fingers. A grimace appeared on her face, when she illuminated the wound with her flashlight. A rather wide gash was ajar on the side of her lower leg. The edges were partly crusted, but there was still fresh blood seeping out of an opening. It didn't appear to be deep, though.

How J was able to move on like that was a mystery to Dawn. Quietly she ordered Piplup to create a bubble filled with water, which she used to clean the wound carefully. With the same cautiousness she put some of the salve on the gash and wrapped the bandage around the leg.

Any other person would have stopped treating the injury, but Dawn had something more to add. Once again she used the strength of her Pokemon. Although Piplup was not too fond of helping the huntress, it used a weakened form of its Ice Beam to seal the spot under a freezing layer of ice.

Satisfied with the result Dawn looked at the huntress and couldn't help but smile a bit. "Done. No need to worry, the ice will melt eventually. But until then it will cool the would and actually make the spot go numb. You shouldn't feel anymore pain soon..."

The young coordinator frowned, when she saw the changed expression on J's face. It looked, as if she was in deep thoughts about some kind of realization. "Is something wrong?" Dawn asked, putting some distance between her and the huntress. Who knew, what idea just popped into J's mind?

But the silver haired woman just kept staring at her. When she finally said something, Dawn was barely able to make out the words. "It is really you, huh..."

Before the young coordinator had anytime to ask, what J was talking about, a loud screech echoed over the glade, followed by loud steps. Whoever made his way to the clearing was close, but not there yet. Dawn had no time to react, when J already jumped to her feet and pulled the younger girl up by her wrist. Piplup stumbled after them and hid behind the shrine.

Dawn could feel the unexpected warmth of the wood behind her, but she was still to shocked to give it any thought. What mattered was the potential danger she, her Pokemon and probably even J were in. Worries began to build up in her. She was capable of batteling, but she and most her partners were exhausted from the previous day. They wouldn't be able to endure a long fight.

Her anxiety was growing even further, when she heard another screech, that time from a closer distance. She tensed her muscles, as her mind raced in order to make up some kind of strategie. So occupied with her thoughts, Dawn almost didn't hear J whispering in her ear.

"Girl, I need your help. You have to knock down those Pokemon, quick. Don't give them anytime to react, understand?"

Surprised Dawn blinked at her and wanted respond something, but J simply waved with her hand, an impatient look on her face. "We don't have time for this. How you do it, is up to you. Just make sure the attack will incapacitate them. A surprise attack, understand?" Rolling her eyes, she added something more. "I'll even explain later. For now, just do as I say!"

The huntress turned around and now Dawn even noticed, that she was covered from view by the older woman's body. At that moment, she decided to trust the huntress with the plan. It was nothing she did gladly, but it felt safer than the alternative and whatever that was, it sure sounded bad.

By then, the steps and the permanent flapping of wings were close enough, to hear them clearly. A Pokeball was activated and a dark growl joined the noises.

"This time there won't be any mistakes. You won't be able to run away now" Finally, the grunt reached the edge of the little shrine and looked straight at the huntress. "J."

From behind the older woman, Dawn could only see a Crobat flying at the right side of his head and she knew, there had to be some kind of probably doglike Pokemon at the ground. She gripped her own Pokeball tightly, ready to attack any moment. J didn't show any kind of reaction, she simply waited.

Probably the grunt understood her silence as a quiet surrender and was about to bark an order at his Pokemon, when Dawn quickly tossed her Pokeball in the air. "Mamoswine, quick, use Blizzard!"

The giant mammoth Pokemon popped out and immediately engulfed its opponents in a freezing wind. The plan worked, the grunt was too surprised to react. Crobat was frozen into a solid block of ice and crashed down, while his Houndoom had a hard time, remaining at its posture.

But just when Dawn was about to order another attack, a sudden white glow flashed up out of the shrine. Startled, she diverted herself from the battle and looked at the wooden structure. The light had not ceased yet, but the coordinator had no time, finding out, what it was. The grunt had overcome his initial surprise and fought back.

"Houndoom, Roar!" The fire-type bared it's sharp teeth and let out a loud growl. Mamoswine didn't seem to be too intimidated, but it still returned to it's respective Pokeball. Fortunately for Dawn, she didn't need further help of her giant friend. She focused her concentration once more on the battle.

"Piplup, Hydropump!" The small penguin didn't hesitate, when it created a powerful steam of water. Houndoom had no chance against the pressure and was pushed back by it, as well as it's trainer. The attack wasn't over, though. Even without an order, Piplup knew, what it had to do. Using Bubble Beam, it enveloped the three opponents in a huge bubble that grew rapidly.

"Let's finish with Ice Beam!" Dawn shouted and her partner obeyed. After mere seconds the whole surface was frozen and untransparent. The enemies were incapacitated. Relieved, she thanked her Pokemon for the help and turned around to look at her guide.

J glared briefly at something yellow sticking out of the shrine, then quickly focused on her surroundings. While Dawn stepped closer to find out, what had caused the glow earlier, the huntress spoke up.

"If you're done, we will go on, now. "

She was about to continue their sprint, but the young coordinator was a little occupied with the tiny Pokemon directly over her head. "A Pichu! " She exclaimed and held a hand up to its nose. It sniffed her curiously and squeaked all the time. Although she had turned her back at the silver haired woman, she could almost feel her annoyed glare.

"This little rat almost made you lose. If we get caught because of it, I'll make sure you despise it. Come on!" J said and started running, before Dawn had time to react. Pichu was faster and tried to jump out of the shrine. It almost fell down on the hard earth, but she was quick enough to catch it.

Hastily, the bluehaired girl chased after the fast huntress with the Pichu now in her arms and Piplup in another bubble sliding over the ground. It took her a while, but eventually she was able to catch up to J. The older woman shot her a side glare, before she focused on the multiple ways in front of them.

"You don't seem to grasp your situation yet, girl," She spoke and took the right way, a narrow, partly hidden path. "This is not about some Pokemon. It's about your life! And you go waste our time with that little rat."

"It's not a rat!" Dawn protected the mouse Pokemon. "And that's the reason I took it! You should know best, what people like them would do with it..."

J just snorted at that reply and kept running. Although silence fell over them, the coordinator felt save enough to ask another question. After all, J at least _seemed _to be in a cooperating mood. "Hey, what was it, you wanted to explain? Why can't you battle yourself?"

The woman shot her an annoyed look as if she had hoped, that Dawn had forgotten that remark after all the excitement. "This isn't important right now. When we have time for a short break, I will tell you. Now we have to focus on putting as much distance between us and those pathetic pursuers as we can. I'm sure he already broke out of that bubble..."

After all the hard work, the young trainer and her Pokemon had put into that technique, she felt rather underestimated. "No way! Out Bubble Cage won't break that easily, right Piplup?"

The penguin chirped approvingly. J on the other hand wasn't convinced at all. Her expression told likewise, when she faced the younger girl. "Really? The ice bubble with the firetype inside?"

Dawn frowned. That sarcastic remark once again showed her, how little the huntress thought of her. She couldn't just let that statement drop, so she dared to correct the rather dangerous woman. "It's not just ice. The cage consists of many layers of bubbles and water, which are very flexible and move back into place, when an attack hits it. The ice is just, to make it a little more stable. We've already tested it with a Magmar, so it should be working..."

Her eyes were fixed on J's greyish ones, waiting for a reaction. She didn't know, what the silence meant, but eventually the older woman gave a simple reply. "I see. Just hope, you're right."

Once again, silence fell upon the two running girls. The adrenaline of the surprise attack had refreshed Dawn's tired muscles, but she could already feel the burning pain return. On top of the, Pichu began to make a ruckus. It squealed and struggled to escape her grip.

"Hey! Stop it!" She tried to hush the tiny mouse. It shot her a pleading look and repeated its name. The young coordinator let out a sigh. "I don't understand a word you're saying..."

"But you should be able to understand me, girl," J's voice called out from behind her, as she, pointed into the forest. Piplup and Dawn came abruptly to a halt and turned around. "We'll continue our way here. Don't fall behind." With that said, the huntress vanished behind the trees. The young coordinator and her Pokemon quickly followed and soon they found themselves in another nearly impassable sea of underwood.

Thick branches and thorny scrubs covered the dark ground. Dawn had to climb over some obstacles and Pichu took the opportunity to dash of in J's direction. While the tiny mouse had no problems, slipping through small holes in the brush, Piplup had a hard time finding its way. It's big, blue head often got stuck and it tripped more, than it walked. Clearly annoyed it repeated its name loudly over and over again.

The young coordinator could understand her Pokemon and she glared at J's back. Just where was the huntress leading her to? For a moment Dawn considered her chances once more, if she escaped. Now, that she knew the shrine's location, she was able to regain her orientation. Maybe she could find her way to Goldenrod City and her contest. Maybe she was lucky enough to evade anymore encounters with Team Rocket. Maybe she could just grab Piplup, turn around and flee from J.

But what, if not? Too many ideas about the worst and mot likely outcomes of her little attempt to escape were popping up in Dawn's mind. J, Team Rocket and even the Pokemon of the forest meant potential danger to the blue haired girl. It was very frustrating to her, that the only safe way out of that situation was to follow Pokemon Hunter J. How much bad luck could a person have in one single night?

Frustrated by those circumstances, Dawn let out a hiss and fought herself free from the thorny scrubs that wrapped around her legs. She lost her balance doing so and almost fell to the ground, but instead bumped into something softer.

J had stopped and it was her body, the surprised coordinator crashed into. Hastily, she jumped away and stumbled over the branches, That time however, she was grabbed by the collar and held into place.

"We take a short break here. Don't make yourself too comfortable, though," the huntress said**.** She went over to a trunk, which laid on its side and took a seat, her watchful eyes fixed on the girl. Part of Dawn was relieved to take another break, but she was mostly very irritated. Grumbling, she picked up her Piplup and sat down in front of a huge ilex.

They had arrived at a little clearing and the clouds let enough light shine to the ground, that the blue haired coordinator had a good view on J. And on Pichu, which was seated right beside her, and looked up to the huntress with big shiny eyes. Dawn frowned a bit at the scene, but brushed it of for the moment. After all, the older woman had said, she would explain everything and that was just the time for it.

"So..." Dawn began. "What was it, you wanted to tell me?"

J didn't reply immediately, but rather let out a heavy sigh. She crossed one leg over the other and leaned back a little. "You saw the guy with the Crobat and the Houndoom. That damn Crobat knows a certain frequency to disable Pokeballs and Houndoom can use Roar. I think you get the idea. Fortunaly, this also disturbs radio waves. They are not able to communicate, thus they can't locate us that easily."

Dawn blinked. And her jaw dropped. "That's it? You can't use your Pokemon? I could have just fled without worrying over your Pokemon?!" She couldn't help but feel even more angered. The reason she kept following the huntress - it never existed?

The fact, that J even snorted at her remark, stirred her irritation even more. "You want to run away? Fine. Go and get lost again. Or, more likely, get caught by Team Rocket. I am sure they will enjoy their opportunity to use their methods on a girl like you. They would do anything to find out, where I am."

"I could beat any of them! And I would find my way out in no time!" Dawn snapped back at the huntress. That moment she was so fierce, she didn't even notice, when she jumped to her feet.

"I would love to see that. After all, they were able to incapacitate me, why should your chances be any better?"

"Because I -" Dawn tried to think about some kind of reason, at least a little one to back up her claim. But she knew, she had lost the argument. She had known it even before the fight. The truth behind J's words was something the young coordinator couldn't deny. Feeling, that all her strength was suddenly gone, she sank to her knees and hung her head. She didn't let herself cry in front of the huntress, but she felt like it.

"I don't care! All I want is this night to come to an end! I'm somewhere lost in the Ilex Forest, chased by Team Rocket and _you _are here! But not only that, you're helping me! I don't understand any of it!" She took a moment, to catch her breath, her voice not giving away her actual shakiness. "I don't even care anymore, whether I make it to the contest or not... I just want this - this... _nightmare_ to end!"

Piplup chirped worryingly and looked up at its trainer from the ground with big, black eyes. She patted its head with her hand and tried to ignore the huntress, which was approaching her after a while. Even, when J stood directly in front of her, Dawn didn't turn in her direction. Only Piplup paid her attention, by glaring threateningly at her. A sigh was heard, as the older woman spoke up.

"All right, girl -"

"Don't" Dawn interrupted J, without lifting her head. "Don't call me girl."

"Then how?" That moment, J's voice was a mere whisper and sounded so different from her normal way to talk - almost _empathetic_ - the coordinator couldn't believe her ears. She had to see the greyish blue eyes of her with her own ones, to assure she was still talking with the same evil huntress. Baffled, Dawn said the next words without thinking about them.

"My name's Dawn..."

"Well then, Dawn," J emphasized her name briefly. Her voice still had the changed tone in it, as she went on. "I know, this must be very confusing and I am certainly not the person, to give you any satisfying answers. But what I can tell you is, that those henchmen pose a severe threat for both our lifes. I have my own personal interest in your survival - I just can't reveal them to you. Trusting me is probably the most impossible task I can ask for, but -" Now she offered her hand to Dawn. "But you can believe me, when I tell you, that I will lead you out of this forest safely and in time. All I need is you to accept the help."

When Dawn was still hesitating, the huntress added something more to her little speech. "I can even promise you, that I won't deceive you. All right?"

The blue haired girl looked straight into her eyes, trying to find out, whether J was lying. But it didn't feel like it. As far as Dawn could tell, her words were honest.

She was still a little reluctant, accepting the help from the huntress - after all, they were enemies. But that moment, Dawn decided to trust her. She took J's gloved hand and let herself be pulled up. Her legs were shaking and were about to give in. Without the support of the older woman, Dawn would have fallen to the ground.

As soon as she had found her balance, J let go of her hand. "It'll take just an hour or two, so -" She stopped in mid sentence, when she saw a little, yellow Pokemon on her shoulder.

"Pichu!" It squeaked happily and tried to nuzzle its head against J's neck. She intercepted that movement with her index finger and pushed it some inches away.

"Get down, now!" She ordered with her old tone. Obviously, the mouse didn't understand her words and kept squealing. J grabbed it at it's back and was about to put it away. When she saw Dawn, who wanted to take the electric type, though, she quickly rethought her decision. "If I think about it, you can stay." Apparently, Pichu was happy. Sparks danced around its pink cheeks, but the huntress paid no mind. She was already continuing her way, only stopping to wait for the younger girl.

Dawn picked up Piplup and quickly followed J, pushing her worries back in a corner of her mind. The last part of their road was rather uneventful. With J's help, the young girl had fewer difficulties and because they were far away from the usual paths, there were no more encounters with Team Rocket. Although Dawn's legs were still hurting, the slower pace helped her relax her tense muscles at least a bit.

It took them a little longer, to reach the end of the forest and by the time they passed the last trees, the sun already rose in the east. Exhausted, but relieved, Dawn let herself drop to her knees and let out a sigh. "We made it! Finally!" She exclaimed and Piplup chirped approvingly. There was a little house with a great yard in the vicinity and somewhere in the distance, they could already see some skyscrapers towering over the trees. "That must be Goldenrod City! We're really here!"

"It just takes about fifteen minutes to get there. There shouldn't be anymore of those incompetent idiots around, so you can just go," J said, as she walked up to the young coordinator. Pichu was still on her shoulder and it appeared to be fast asleep. Although her tone was back to normal, Dawn still didn't sense any danger behind it. She must really have been very, very tired.

"You just let me go like this? Really?" She asked once more, still shocked by the fact. "That's... still confusing..."

The huntress merely shrugged her shoulders. "There is no need to understand it." With her left hand she picked something up and seconds later, she held out the peacefully slumbering Pichu to Dawn. "That's yours. After all, _you _wanted to keep it."

Carefully, she took the tiny mouse in her own arms and brushed against its fur. In the new light, she could now see some spikes at its left ear. The unusual behavior made her wonder. "Why did it follow you all the time?"

"Well," J snorted. "The shrine shined. I guess that Pichu just hatched and Baby-Pokemon like this, tend to believe, that the first living thing they see was responsible for its egg."

"Oh... So if it saw you first, it must think, you're it's -"

"You don't have to say it," the huntress quickly interrupted her. "I don't want that mouse to get anymore attached to me, so you better stay out from my business. Got it?"

Dawn only nodded, feeling a wave of tiredness washing over her. The silver haired woman took the opportunity, to return to the forest, but was soon stopped by a quiet voice.

"Wait..." Despite the burning sensation in her legs, the young girl got up and faced the huntress once more. "Thank you... for guiding me here, J..."

After some hesitation J replied. "Well. I guess, thank _you _for my leg." She was of course referring to the bandage, which was still wrapped around the wound. "Now, go to sleep already."

With those words each of the two girls continued their own ways and despite her condition, Dawn couldn't suppress a smile at the thought of her upcoming contest. But there was a certain thought alway lingering at the back of her mind, even as she began following the road.

What had really just happened and what would it bring in her future? Dawn could only guess and hope, that she would find the answers some day.

* * *

Yeah... I see now, there are really many parallels of my first chapter and Capture the Heart ones. Well, that was anything but on purpose xD And I promise, it won't happen again. I guess. Well, I hope you enjoyed it.

Write ya next time.


	2. Mood of a Teenager

Yes, it took me awhile, but here's the new chapter. Brilliant name, I know. Ah, and just for you to know, in the battle that will be there later, I didn't write every order of the trainers on purpose. It seemed rather annoying to me, I#m just warning you, before anyone wonders, why they are so silent.

* * *

"So, your name is?"

"Dawn."

"And your age?"

"16."

"And you are from?"

"Sinnoh."

"A bit more detailed, please."

Dawn let out a heavy sigh. She and her Pokemon were in a small office at the Goldenrod City police station. A grumpy looking officer sat on the other side of the small desk, noting her personal data in some files. Piplup had fallen asleep in Dawn's lap and Pichu was busy exploring the room with curious eyes.

"I'm from Twinleaf Town."

The policeman nodded and wrote something down. "How long have you been in Johto and what are your plans here?"

The young girl frowned at the question. "What does this have to do with yesterday night?"

"Well, formalities," He said, but then he folded his hands infront of his face and fixed Dawn with his glare. "And to find out, how you are connected to either criminal organization, which caused us much havoc in the Ilex Forest."

His sharp tone gave Dawn a certain idea and she didn't like the direction, it took. "Are you assuming, I am an accomplice?" His expression told the whole story and baffled as she was, she needed a few seconds, to find her voice again. "I would never help any of them! I'm not a criminal!" She actually glared at the policeman, a guy with a serious look on his face and short, black hair partly hidden under his hat. He had put on his uniform neatly, but it looked rather worn down.

On the whole, he looked like an officer, who had chased and arrested countless criminals, risking his life more than once. Determined, brave - and hardened enough to believe, that a 16-years-old girl could be an assistant to any evil act. Why did _he_ have to interview Dawn? Where was the nicer, soft Officer Jenny, when you really needed her? Handing out parking tickets?

He simply replied by returning to his notes. "That is not for you to decide."

Sighing in defeat, Dawn dropped her shoulders and answered his previous question. "I've been in Johto for one and a half months and I'm here to participate at the Grand Festival."

"Grand Festival?" He repeated her words and raised an eyebrow. "Well, you seem to be very confident in your skills, regarding, how little time is left until it begins. A month, I believe? Most suspicious." Before Dawn could defend herself, the officer already went on, his eyes fixed on the document. "I believe, you are here to participate at the Goldenrod Contest?" A nod. "You know, it had been delayed?"

Now her expression darkened and she let out a huff. "Yes, I know." One of the only reasons, she accepted Hunter J's help, and it had been _delayed?!_ What kind of sick joke was fate playing with her?

"Well, before we digress too much from the most important information, what happened yesterday night? And don't try to make me believe, you didn't notice anything until our units caught you this morning. I want to know every detail, of what happened, understood?"

Letting out a sigh, Dawn nodded and reluctantly, she told him about the previous events. How she got lost in the forest, how she met J and how they escaped the apparently very dangerous woods. She didn't hundred percent follow his instruction, though. There were a few details, she felt the officer wouldn't need to bother his time with. Like the wound on J's leg, which was treated by the young girl. Or that they had helped each other on different occasions. No, the busy policeman surely had other duties, then listening to such insignificant data, which would put the coordinator in a bad light anyways.

"... and that's when I was suddenly ambushed by your colleagues," She concluded her tale and grimaced. The memory of her "arrest" was still vivid on her mind. Just when she was about to enter the city, just when she was about to leave the incident of the Ilex Forest behind her - suddenly dozens of policemen lunged at her, roaring fiercely all the while. Dawn had a déjà-vu of Mamoswhine falling onto her during their training.

The officer still had many questions, especially about possible hints about J's plans. As the young girl already had enough of that interview, she only answered in monosyllables. But when he asked about something unusual about the huntress, Dawn couldn't help but wonder again.

"She did behave strange today..."

"Strange? In what way?" He pressed her, now at best attention.

A little hesitantly, Dawn gave a reply. "She seemed to be troubled and later on she was.." She searched for the right words. "Friendly. Helpful, kind of nice..."

Suddenly, the blue haired girl remembered a little detail in her conservation with J, which seemed to be important. The huntress had said, that she had some personal interest in Dawn's survival. What was the meaning behind those words?

The officer seemed to be lost in thoughts, while he wrote down some more notes in the file. "Well. Even the most ruthless criminals can be friendly to their accomplices."

Her jaw dropped. He was _still _accusing Dawn of assisting J? Apparently, the policeman read her expression, as he spoke on. "You want to deny it? You received help by a wanted criminal, you did nothing that would help putting this Hunter to justice-"

"She is dangerous!" Dawn interrupted the officer, but he just spoke on, unaffected.

"And you have arrived in Johto only a few weeks later, than Hunter J did. Not to mention, that she stopped her crimes at about the same time you came. I do not believe in accidents. The facts you told me lead me inevitable to the assumption, that you have something to do with her. Could it possibly involve poaching rare Pokemon?"

"I would never do that!" Dawn had her voice risen, to match the volume of the officer. The longer she listened to his words, the more irritated she became. How could he believe something like that? The blue haired coordinator was the last person, who would be involved in hunting business! "I would never work with such a cruel, ruthless person! I could never put harm to anybody, especially not Pokemon!"

The policeman wanted to respond and even stood up from his chair, but an excited squeak jolted them back to reality.

"Pichu! Chu Pi!"

Turning their heads to the little electric type, they both gasped at the sight. The two had concentrated on the discussion so intensely, they never noticed, how the computer started. Pichu jumped around happily on the keyboard and poked the mouse from time to time. Multiple windows opened, all featuring reports of criminal organizations. One of them showed the big headline "Team 'Missile' Rocket - Radical Group of Pokemonthiefs".

"Team Missile?" Dawn asked, frowning, but remained at her seat, as she was not in the mood to take care of Pichu. The officer on the other hand was quickly approaching his computer, his eyes never leaving the yellow pipsqueak.

"Yes, Team Missile, the political correct term for the radical group, which separated from Team Rocket three years ago. They still pursue the original goal of world domination by stealing strong Pokemon. Well, I guess they could not accept helping people with charitable projects." He arrived at the desk and tried to catch Pichu. The tiny mouse managed to dodge his attempts effortlessly and let out some sparks. The officer snorted. He definitely didn't want his computer to be damaged by an accidental ThunderShock. "I'm sure, they were not too happy about Pokemon Hunter J rivaling their crimes and tried to get rid of her. Then you probably came to save her and now she gets her revenge by sabotaging their operations! And you are here to help her!"

Dawn blinked. The officer just rattled through his speech so fast, her unfocused mind couldn't understand everything he told her. Something about radical groups of people, who wanted world domination by charitable projects. She definitely needed her sleep. And seeing the policeman being busy with his own problems, she saw a chance to leave finally. "Excuse me, can I go now?" She asked, but was simply ignored.

"Did you just send that? To my superior?!" He shouted in horror and tried to push Pichu off the keyboard. The tiny mouse jumped away and accidentally pressed a button. Suddenly, the alarm went off and red lights flashed through the office, startling the three. Pichu's scared cry filled the air and sparks began to build up in its cheeks. It didn't take too long for the yet unexperienced Pokemon to discharge the weak, but effective ThunderShock that hit everything in direct prolixity - including the officer and computer. The now crispy-fried policeman watched with horror, how the screen flickered, before it went black.

Phones were ringing loudly, officers stormed into the room, Growlithe were barking fiercely. Nobody cared for neither Dawn nor Pichu, which had already taken its place on her shoulder, muttering its name. The chaotic mess was the perfect chance to get away and the blue haired coordinator didn't hesitate, as she took it.

Finally, she was able to step behind the glass doors and the moment she did so, she let out a relieved sigh. The warm late morning sun shone at the tired girl, almost mockingly. Goldenrod City was already awake and busy. People were hurrying to their jobs or took walks in the lively streets, most likely unaware of the riot in the police station. Many shops lined the road, their labels attracting potential customers. Any other time, the young coordinator couldn't wait to explore, what the city had to offer, what kind of fashion products she would find or what culinary specialities awaited her.

But not that day. While Pichu scrambled around her shoulders, simply astonished by the view and Piplup still peacefully asleep in her arms, Dawn only thought about the nice, soft bed in some nearby Pokemon Center. Both her body and mind were exhausted and she wished for nothing more, than a long rest. From afar she could already see the giant 'P' that indicated her destination and a faint smile played on her lips.

At last she arrived at her room. A sigh escaped her lips, as Dawn went over to the single bed and let herself drop on the soft mattress. Piplup hadn't woken up even once, when she put it onto the pillow and watched it curl up. She then turned her attention at Pichu, which was busy exploring the room. It sniffled around and squealed all the time. When it found the lamps, or more precisely, the switch of the lamp, it even let some sparkles of excitement dance around it cheeks. As it was playing with the light, it drew a giggle from the blue haired girl.

"You really are a Baby Pokemon. You're so cute!" She went over to the tiny mouse and picked it up. It looked at her with big, shiny eyes and tilted it's spiky ear to the side. "I bet you're hungry. After all, you haven't eaten anything yet, right?" Although Pichu didn't seem to understand, what Dawn just said, it snuggled itself close to her chest.

She took a pink poffin out of her backpack and held it in front of Pichu's nose. The electric type sniffled at it and licked it. It let out a squeal of delight and tried to nibble some of the sweet candy, but failed. How could it, without teeth?

"Oops, I forgot." Dawn exclaimed and put Pichu onto the bed. She exited her room and returned shortly afterwards with some fresh milk. Together with the poffin she created a bowl full with pink yoghurt. The tiny mouse immediately started to lick the sweet substance and quickly splotched it's cheeks. It just looked adorable and Dawn couldn't help, but shake her head.

"How can such a cute thing think, _J _is its mother? I mean, it's Pokemon Hunter J we're talking about!" Although it couldn't have understood her words, Pichu looked up and squealed questioningly. She stroked it's head with her hand and let out a sigh. "But you really like her, don't you? Well, I guess, it can't be helped. If we ever meet again, I'll think of something, okay?"

Although the tiny mouse had no clue, what Dawn just said, it seemed to have understood the message and happily returned to its meal. The girl on the other hand dropped on the mattress and once again thought about the past events. She was still wondering about the unusual behavior of the older woman. Or her motives of being in Johto, sabotaging Team Rocket or Team Missile, or who ever they might be. And why had she helped Dawn? Why was she interested in her survival? Whatever the reasons were, it was most likely that Dawn would never find out about them. But she was curious. Really curious.

The answers would have to wait, though. Since it was still morning and Dawn didn't want to sleep through the whole day, she set her alarm-clock a few hours later. She would then go and explore the city for a bit, until it was time to get ready for her contest the next day.

Quickly, she changed into her pajamas and hopped onto the bed. "There's one more thing..." She said and grabbed an empty Pokeball. She held it directly in front of Pichu's little black nose, which sniffed the device. "As long as we didn't figure out, what we will do with J, you should stay with me, okay?"

With a slight movement of her wrist, Dawn catched the tiny mouse. When the red light stopped blinking, she released the electric type. Pichu seemed to be troubled by the device and frowned, an act that drew a giggle from the young girl. Yawning heartily, she made herself comfortable on the bed and soon fell asleep, in a world without any dangerous woods, hunters or annoying police officers.

* * *

The next day, Dawn was roused from her sleep by the penetrate beeping of the alarm clock. It took her a moment to find the annoying device and to slam the snooze button. Immediately, she curled back into her sheets and enjoyed the warmth.

Until suddenly something small and fluffy jumped around her, preventing her attempt of falling back into her peaceful slumber. No matter how hard she tried, the young girl couldn't ignore the noisy squealing of the energetic little Pokemon. Still reluctant to leave her sleep just yet, her eyes flung open and she shot Pichu a glare. The tiny mouse didn't mind, as it hopped around and sent out sparkles in every direction. Piplup accompanied the electric type and chirped happily at it's trainer.

Groaning, Dawn finally sat up and rubbed her eyes. Her whole body felt sore, especially her legs, which still burned after all the strain they had been through. The little rest hadn't been enough to wash the tiredness away, so that the coordinator began her day in a foul mood. Not even the thought about her contest could lift her spirits.

Unmotivated as she was, Dawn prepared herself very slowly for her performance.

With a look into the mirror she had to find out, that her legs still looked like a mess. Countless red lines covered her rather pale skin and almost shone due to the contrast. She grimaced. She couldn't just walk outside like that with her skirt - how would all those scratches look like, especially in her contest dress? A tight-fitting jeans was the only piece of cloth, which was long enough to cover her legs, but as she had found out the day before, the weather was very warm, even hot. Although Dawn didn't want to suffer a sunstroke, she couldn't just wander around as if she had been attacked by a horde of Rattata.

_Sometimes I hate being a girl_, She thought as she eventually walked out of the Pokemon Center, dressed in a white sleeveless shirt and the dark jeans. Pichu sat on her shoulder, while Piplup walked right beside her on the street, chirping happily.

It promised to be a beautiful day. The sun shone and only some fleecy clouds covered the light blue sky. People were laughing and enjoying their day off, many of them obviously went into the same direction, the young coordinator did. Only Dawn did not fit the picture with her constant frown. That moment, she wished for nothing more, than her warm, comfortable bed, but instead, she found a reminder of the reason for her bad mood.

There was a huge poster that drew her attention. She stopped and looked at the picture, the Goldenrod Gym accompanied by fanfare and colorful confetti, the place, where the contest should have taken place. Another smaller note was a sincere apology of the gym leader Whitney, whose gym fell victim to an intense battle. The repairs wouldn't be finished before the contest, so they had to delay the date and rearrange the location into the National Park.

Whoever that Whitney person was, she did not leave a good impression on Dawn. Now, even more angered than before, she continued her way to the National Park in a faster pace. She was ready to blame any other person for her bad mood. The gym leader, the police officer, Hunter J - everyone! Who did they think they were, messing around with Dawn's life like that?

Frustrated as she was, the young girl wanted to vent her anger and kicked a street lamp. Not only shot a sharp pain through her big toe, the metallic sound drew the attention of some passerby and especially the older ones shook their head in disapproval. Dawn could hear a murmuring voice, complaining about "those rampaging teenagers".

The anger was still there, but now it was mixed with embarrassment. Her cheeks burned up with a deep blush and she directed her eyes to the ground, hurrying on in a much quicker pace. The day had not even started yet and Dawn wished for nothing more, than her bed and the blanket that could cover her from the rest of the world.

* * *

Finally, Dawn sat in front of a huge mirror in the changing room at the contest site at National Park. She was already dressed in her contest-outfit, a rather simple, but short dress in a light color. To conceal the scratches on her legs, she had to put a thick pile of make-up on her skin and even then there were still some red lines shining through. It was well enough, though and she was relieved, that she didn't have to wear tights in the heat.

The first round was still some more minutes away and gradually, the young girl felt a trace of nervousness rise within her. She couldn't help but worry about her performance. After all, she and her Pokemon hadn't been able to practice for three days, as their trainer was either occupied with getting lost in the Ilex Forest or too tired. She let out a sigh and rubbed her hands over her face. The Grand Festival was four more contests away and Dawn had only achieved two ribbons thus far. The last three would be hard to earn, especially regarding her success rate in the last couple of contests. No matter how much she and her Pokemon practiced, there would always be a mistake, which affected their chance of victory greatly. And how should she be able to win in a state like that?

A sigh escaped her lips and she leant back a bit in her chair. Dawn could see her Piplup looking at her with uncertain eyes and a faint smile played on her lips, as she made a decision. Grabbing a Pokeball from the desk, the young girl released her Quilava. Immediately, the fire type ignited the bright flames on its back and cried out its name, clearly ready to take on the first round. When it saw it's trainer's expression, though, it shot her a questioning look.

"Alright, Quilava, Piplup," She said and patted their heads. "You don't have to win this time, it doesn't matter. We haven't practiced for a few days and I'm still very tired... As long as we kind of get it over with it, everything will be alright. No need to worry, we still have one more chance! ... But today I just want it to end soon, so take it easy, okay?"

She could see and feel the confusion of her partner, but instead of answering, she just gave each of them a little squeeze. _If we are already about to lose,_ she figured. _We don't have to waste anymore energy, then necessary. _

When the announcement for the first round came, Dawn turned away from her still baffled Pokemon and faced Pichu. The tiny mouse sniffed a plug socket with great interest. hastily, the coordinator jumped to her feet and grabbed the electric type. As she didn't want to put it in its Pokeball, but couldn't just let it run around freely, she called another of one of her partners.

A white light emerged and a tall Lopunny stood gracefully in front of her. "Lopunny," Dawn greeted the rabbit. "Could you take care of Pichu? I'm afraid, it will only hurt itself."

"Lo! Punny!" It sang and took Pichu into its own arms. The electric type sniffled the taller Pokemon and eventually gave it a little lick on its fluffy cheek. Despite her state, Dawn had to giggle and with that settled, she turned around to Piplup and Quilava. They still gave her those unsure looks and she smiled faintly.

"Come on, guys. The first round is waiting." She quickly retrieved her partners and dashed outside to her contest.

* * *

A large stage had been built over the lower half of the Pokeball-shaped grassland. Curtains had been set up in the back behind the huge fountain, which still shot water highly into the air. And there was a tribune for the cheering spectators.

"We had some interesting coordinators here," A young woman with light blue hair and a white and pink dress exclaimed. Her name was Marina and she was the Contest Annoucer of Johto. "But now, let's welcome one of the uprising coordinators of the past few years - the Bubble Queen, Dawn!"

The crowd cheered, Dawn frowned. She did a lot more, than just creating bubbles!

Brushing the thoughts about her awkward title away, the young coordinator stepped out from behind the curtains and threw her Pokeball. Fireworks emerged from the Ballcapsule and in the midist of the colorful lights Quilava appeared. When it landed, bright flames burst apart, away from its body.

"Quilava, use Swift!" Dawn yelled and her partner created a storm of stars in different shapes, sizes and even colors. They flew around the stage and illuminated everything in an almost ghostly way. "Now jump and use Flame Wheel!" A cry, followed by the hissing sound of ignited fire pierced through the air and Quilava leaped up into the sky. A wild and powerful inferno spun rapidly around its body, as the volcano Pokemon bounded from one giant star to the others, a couple of smaller ones trailing behind it like a swarm.

_This is it,_ Dawn thought and bit her lip. _This is where we will make a mistake. One of the stars will break, or Quilava will miss one, or, or, or..._

But to her astonishment, nothing happened. As a finishing move, the fire around Quilava split, revealing an unobscured view to it's nicely illuminated body. The Flame Wheel was still active, but the volcano Pokemon didn't have to roll around for it. A last leap right through a giant, bursting star and the performance was over. Pokemon and coordinator stood there, grinning at the cheering crowd, surrounded by a cascade of colorful stars.

Dawn couldn't remember the last time, their performance went that smoothly.

* * *

As Dawn first entered the waiting room for the coordinator, she could already hear the frustrated squealing of Pichu. And mere seconds later, she could see the reason for it. A young woman with pink hair, dressed in a red sport suit, was hugging the little electric type with great affection. Or rather squeezing it to death, as the uncomfortable look on Pichu's expression became more and more visible.

"Aren't you the cutest? With those little, pink cheeks and those spikes on your ear! Waaaah, I just want to take you with me and -" Whatever that person wanted to do with the poor tiny mouse, Dawn would never know. Before she or Lopunny, which hopped up and down right next to the stranger, could do anything to interfere, Pichu let out a ThunderShock. The attack was still weak, but it was enough to knock the pink haired woman down to the ground.

Rushing over to her Pokemon, Dawn catched the electric type, which quickly hid behind her shoulder. Lopunny went to check on Pichu, looking apologetically at its trainer all the while. Slightly annoyed of the whole scene, the blue haired coordinator tapped her foot on the ground.

"Excuse me," She began and glared at the woman in front of her. The stranger had moved into a sitting position and rubbed the back of her head. "But what makes you think, you can just choke my Pichu?"

The stranger laughed nervously and sprang to her feet. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself. It was just so cute! Where did you get it and how come it has those spikes? Don't tell me, you use hair gel?" She fired questions at the younger girl, until she noticed the mood, Dawn was in. "Oh, where are my manners - I'm Whitney."

Dawn's eyebrow twitched. Hadn't she read that name just an hour before? "Oh. So you're that infamous gym leader?"

Whitney seemed to be a little intimidated by Dawn's harsh words. "Yeah, well... You're Dawn, that awesome coordinator! I watched your progress in a few Grand Festivals... Too bad about the last one in Sinnoh-" A little too late she noticed her mistake, but before the moody girl could reply anything, the announcement for the next coordinator saved the gym leader. "Ah, I need to go. Sorry about your Pichu, see you!" With that, Whitney dashed of to the stage.

Dawn let out a heavy sigh. The day was becoming worse and worse by every hour. She just wondered, when she would finally hit rock bottom. Feeling a little strengthless, she flopped onto a comfortable seat and leaned back. Pichu was happily playing with Lopunny and seemed to have already forgotten the encounter with Whitney. If only Dawn could do that... Simply forgetting about all those people she met the past two days.

For just a few seconds she let her eyelids drop and blocked the background noises out. The next time she opened her eyes again, was because Piplup shook her with its little flippers and chirped right into her ear.

"Piplup," She groaned and rubbed her face. "Where have you been? You could have stopped that Pokemaniac..." The penguin pointed proudly to the neatly bounded, black bow tie around its neck. "Oh, you managed it yourself... That's great, I guess." When it moved her attention to the monitor, where her success of the first round was displayed she straightened up and blinked confused. "When did they already decide?"

"Piplup Pip," The water type exclaimed with a chiding undertone and crossed its flippers in front of its chest.

"I know, I know. I'll sleep later, I promise! After we get kicked out, that is," She muttered the last part much to Piplup's disapproval and her amusement.

"Pip! Piplup Pip Lup!"

"Calm down, I was joking. I'll give my best, no need to worry!" _That's when you usually worry the most, anyways, _She grimly added in her thoughts, as she was well aware of the sleepiness that fell upon her. The second round was about to begin, so Dawn and Piplup went over to the curtain, to meet their first opponent for the day.

* * *

"To my left is the Bubble Queen, Dawn!" Marina exclaimed. "And to my right is Red and Black Flash, Larry!"

Dawn's brow twitched. She thought her title was already ridiculous. What did the poor biker on the other side of the stage do, to earn that nickname? He seemed to be indifferent about the absurd name, as he was grinning broadly in his black leather jacket and made such a person participate in a contest in the first place?

Dawn brushed those thought aside for the moment and called out for Piplup. The penguin was surrounded by numerous ice flowers, which rained softly to the ground like snowflakes. When it landed, it shifted its bow tie into the right position with its flippers and crossed them in front of its chest. That day, Piplup was overflowing with pride and confidence.

_Alright Dawn, remember, _The girl thought to herself and tried to push her tiredness away. _Make your Pokemon look good and show of its strength. Use the attacks of your opponent, find the right timing to attack yourself, stay calm... _She rattled through the rules for a good battle performance as an attempt, to focus her concentration. Nervousness was coming back to her and she clenched her hands into fists. When had she become that vulnerable for jimpiness?

"Heat 'em up, Houndoom!" Larry shouted and in a wild blaze a dog-like Pokemon with huge horns on its skull appeared. It let out a fierce roar and looked intimidating at its next opponent.

Dawn jaw almost dropped. "This has to be a joke!" She hissed quietly through her teeth. Immediately, she remembered the incident in the Ilex Forest and the tension that had been in the air. The burning sensation in her legs became once again noticeable, as well as the frustration she had felt that night. She could see Piplup tense up, too. That battle would be interesting, no doubt.

"Now, begin!" Marina initiated the second round.

"Houndoom, Flamethrower!" The dark type obeyed and spit its glowing fire at Piplup. Both Pokemon and trainer remained calm, as Dawn ordered a defensive Hydro Pump. Water splashed around Piplup's flippers, as it formed a shield-like circle in front of its body. The flames were deflected to the sides, without harming the penguin. Their guard lasted a moment, before it shot a powerful jet of water to their opponent.

Houndoom dodged the attack swiftly and used its Thunder Fang to splash the water at the sides of the Hydro Pump. Both attacks had cost points of both sides, but Dawn paid no mind. She was focused on taking out her anger on the Pokemon in front of her.

"Use Bubble Beam!" She yelled and Piplup created multiple bubbles that floated in the air, instead of damaging the opponent. Excited, Marina announced the upcoming moves of the blue haired coordinator, but Dawn didn't even listen to her words. Piplup was already jumping around on their own stage, dodging Houndoom's Flamethrower.

_This is too easy, _Dawn thought and waited for the biker to change his strategy into some kind of surprise attack. He surely wouldn't just keep up firing at them, would he? When his smirk grew wider, she readied herself for his next move.

"Now, Faint Attack!" He yelled, certain, that he would definitely hit. The dog-like Pokemon leaped into the air to smash the penguin head-on, but mere seconds, before the impact, it vanished from view. That was when Dawn ordered Piplup to dodge. The water type let it's feet sink a few inches into the bubble it stood on and waited for the perfect timing. Just as Houndoom appeared behind it, the penguin fell forward and spun around until it was hanging down and faced the fire type.

"Hydro Pump!" Quickly, Piplup created another jet of water, which was about to become a critical hit on Houndoom. But the dark Pokemon was lucky. The slippery surface of another bubble made Houndoom glide of into a different direction. The move wasn't graceful, but at least it was able to dodge the otherwise devastating attack. Dawn gritted her teeth. If it hadn't been for that bubble, she and Piplup would have already been victorious!

"Time to make things more interesting! Houndoom, Solar Beam!" Larry yelled with a wide grin. Solar Beam was an attack that needed time to charge up, so Dawn felt save enough to attack first and dodge afterwards. However, before Piplup could react anyhow, Houndoom unleashed a bright, greenish beam. The penguin had been able to avoid a critical hit, but the impact still sent it flying across the stage. The blue haired coordinator glanced up into the sky and the dazzling sun. Obviously, the light was enough to skip the long charging of energy.

"Ha! Take that! A minute's left and your chicken is almost down! Let's end this, pal! Once more, Solar Beam!" The biker was sure of his win and let his guard drop. Dawn welcomed the opportunity and smiled faintly herself.

"Piplup, get up!" were all the words her trusty partner needed to get back to its feet. Not only did it dodge the attack, it was able to shoot up highly into the air. Before Houndoom could launch another attack, Piplup already used another, less powerful Hydro Pump. The dog-like Pokemon was able to avoid a hit of the jet of water, but it didn't anticipate a huge bubble falling onto it and trapping it inside.

"Doesn't matter, the sun's still enough! Solar Beam!"

However, a quick Ice Beam froze the bubble and weakened the sunlight getting through to Houndoom. Now, that the fire-type was completely helpless, Piplup could create once more a powerful Hydro Pump, which broke easily through the frozen surface and landed a critical hit.

Houndoom crashed to the ground, steam rising up from its limp body. The battle was over in Dawn's favor. But she hadn't calmed down, yet.

* * *

"We're only minutes away from the grand final! Two outstanding coordinators with their respective partners - The Incredibly Pretty Girl versus The Bubble Queen - Whitney and Dawn!"

Dawn didn't mind Marina. She was a nice, talented person and her excitement for contests was catching. But where in the world did she get those absurd nicknames from?

Whitney stood on the other side of the stage. Her appearance looked much more self-confident than before and she was smiling. "I'm warning you! I'll use all my experience as a gym leader and I won't hold back! Miltank, go!" She tossed her Pokeball and released a burst of stars and her trusty milk cow Pokemon.

The crowd cheered, as they saw the Pokemon appear, which was responsible for the infamous reputation of the Goldenrod Gym. Dawn had heard about its enormous defense and attacking strength and she was not the type of trainer to take her opponent lightly.

She released her own partner. Piplup struck a pose, before it focused on Miltank and shifted into a fighting stance. The air was already filled with the tension of two strong Pokemon facing each other and as the beginning of the battle was announced, both coordinators unleashed their Pokemons' powers at one another.

"Hydro Pump!" Dawn ordered her Pokemon. Such straightforward actions were usually not her style, but she didn't plan on using that attack in any way, to show of Piplup's strength. It was all about Miltank's powers.

When Piplup launched its strongest water attack, Whitney smirked, as if she knew, what Dawn was planning. "We'll accept your invitation - Zen Headbutt!" She told her own partner and immediately, the normal type dashed forward. Dazzling blue energy wrapped itself around it's body and focused on its head. Despite it's chubbiness, Miltank was unbelievably fast and reached the Hydro Pump only a second later. As if it was running against a mere Water Gun, Miltank just kept running through the stream. Water splashed around its Zen Headbutt and before Piplup could react, the attack crashed into it's body.

As the penguin flew backwards, a trail of blue energy followed it and engulfed it. Now that Dawn had witnessed the power of Miltank, the real appeal battle could begin.

"Alright, Sandstorm," Whitney said and the normal type aroused a huge sand spout, which enveloped the whole stage. "Now, let's show them our Rollout!" Miltank jumped into a somersault and began rapidly spinning around itself. The sand was partly drawn around its body and acted like a Rough Skin, which would cause additional damage. Dawn wanted Piplup to dodge, but it couldn't move. The aftereffect of Zen Headbutt made the water type flinch and so Miltank landed a direct hit.

Once again, Piplup was pushed backwards, but that time it managed to remain on it's feet. It nodded at Dawn, a signal, that it was able move freely. The Rollout attack was coming back rapidly, still covered by layers of sand. In order to get away in time, Piplup created a few bubbles and used one as a trampoline to leap high into the air, where another one was floating in the storm.

"We're not letting you get away! Follow with Zen Headbutt!" Whitney ordered. Miltank stopped spinning and took some of the impulse to jump after the penguin. The blue energy of Zen Headbutt was building up and drew the sand into it. Miltank itself couldn't reach Piplup, but the powered up attack would. However, the penguin and it's trainer had other plans in mind.

Piplup had sank into a bubble and used it as shield to deflect most of the Zen Headbutt. Too late, Miltank and Whitney realized their mistake. "Piplup, use Hydro Pump on Miltank and on the sand!"

Another jet of water shot through the air and made direct contact with Miltanks belly. It moaned loudly, as it was pushed towards the ground. The whole stage shook, when the heavy normal type crashed on the floor. Seconds later, Piplup stopped putting pressure on Miltank and rather spun around itself, to hit the whole sandstorm with its water move.

Mud rained on the stage and covered most of the ground, as well as Miltank, which had still been lying down there. While Piplup landed on top of the mess, the pink cow hat to fight itself free from the bothersome substance. Satisfied, Dawn watched Whitney frown. She obviously just realized, that her strategy was backfiring her and she needed a solution for her problem, quickly.

However, the young coordinator didn't want to give her any time for that. "Piplup, use Brick Break!" She yelled and not even a second later, Piplup's flippers were glowing in a bright, white light. As Miltank was still too occupied with its own struggle, it couldn't prevent the strong fighting move, which hit it in the cheek. A lot of damage had been done, but at the same time it had been freed from the muddy sand, it had been trapped in.

"Okay, I have an idea! Miltank, use Rollout - but stay where you are!" Whitney said with a renewed smile. Miltank followed the order and used the spinning attack in the mud. Soon, it became clear, why she had ordered that move. As it was turning around, the sand was catapulted on Piplup and took its sight. Blinded, it staggered around, unable to fight back for the moment.

"Yes! We'll finish it with another Zen Headbutt!" Whitney exclaimed excitedly, all too sure, to become the winner. One more time, Miltank launched it's blue shining attack and jumped at the defenseless penguin.

"Piplup," Dawn called out her partner with a calm voice. "Hydro Pump against the ground." Her plan for the finishing move needed precise timing and so she tried to block out every unnecessary emotion. As Piplup heard her words, it stopped its struggle of cleaning it's eyes and simply shot another jet of water on the ground. The pressure was easily lifting it of the ground and out of Miltank's attacking rage. The normal type on the other hand, got caught in the Hydro Pump and found itself being pressed against the mud.

"Use Bubble Beam, first the smaller, than the bigger one." Some of the water had cleaned Piplup's eyes, so it could aim properly at its goal. The inside of its beak glowed, as the penguin shot many little bubbles at Miltank. The normal type was still shaken from the previous attack, so it couldn't react fast enough. Before it even had any chance of getting up again, Piplup enveloped the pile of bubbles with a huge one, before it finally landed on the ground again. It was panting heavily, but the battle was almost over.

"Miltank, get out of there! Rollout!" Whitney called out to her Pokemon, her bodylanguage showing the tension that built up in her.

"Ice Beam, Piplup," Dawn told her partner. Like it had already reacted two nights ago, the penguin froze the surface of the bubble, before Miltank could start its attack. Mere seconds later, the walls were shaking from the constant hits of Miltank's most feared move. "Alright Piplup," Dawn said, her voice slowly giving away her tiredness. "... let the bubbles inside explode." She gave her partner a faint, but reassuring smile, when it shot her a questioning look.

With a serious expression on its face, it turned back to the cage it had created. The ice walls were already giving in and many cracks covered the surface. That was about to change, though. Suddenly, loud popping noises echoed around the stage and Miltank cried out in surprise. The damage was comparatively low, but it was enough to make the normal type stop in its actions and to anger Whitney.

"How could you do this to my precious Miltank?! You asked for it, finish them with Hyper Beam!" Whitney stomped her foot to the ground, when she yelled the command, furious, about what happened to her partner. Dawn was a little surprised to hear about a special move, rather than a phyical, but Hyper Beam would work just fine with her plan.

"Brick Break through the bubble." Since Piplup already had a clue about her next steps, it was more than ready to dash of with its flippers glowing. Just to make sure, Miltank would not be able to aim for the penguin properly, it jumped on top of the frozen bubble. Ice shattered loudly, as Piplup broke through it and hit Miltank on the head. The Hyper Beam was about to be fired, but the impact made the normal type shut its mouth with the orb of powerful, orange energy still trapped inside.

That explosion was a lot more devastating, than the tiny bubbles. A dark cloud of smoke rose and engulfed both Pokemon. When it finally cleared, the time was already over. Miltank was lying more or less conscious, while Piplup was still on its feet, panting exhausted. Eagerly to see, who the winner was, both trainers looked at the monitor that displayed their points and the countdown. When Dawn saw the difference between her and Whitneys scores, she let out the breath, she had been holding the whole time since the last Brick Break.

Whitney was a couple of points behind the younger girl. Dawn and Piplup had not only won that battle round, but the whole Goldenrod Contest.

"We... we did it..." Dawn muttered. She couldn't believe it. When she had been fully rested, she had many troubles, even reaching the final round. And now, that she was tired and frustrated, she won. It didn't make sense to her.

Despite it's state, Piplup rushed over to its trainer, chirping happily all the while. She lowered herself to her knees to give her partner a warm hug. "You did a great job, Piplup. You deserved a good rest and a poffin, later. How does that sound?"

"Pipluuup!" The penguin only replied and nuzzled its head in her shoulder. Dawn couldn't help, but smile faintly.

"That was some battle! Awesome!" Whitney's voice pulled her back to reality. The gym leader has already retrieved her Miltank and was now approaching the younger girl. "Your Piplup was great - and it still looked cute!"

"The same with your Miltank. I can see, why it's feared by your challengers." Dawn got back to her feet, with Piplup in her arms. There was something that was still on her mind, though. "I'm sorry about earlier. You see, I didn't sleep properly for the last two nights, so I was a bit irritable." The blue haired coordinator shot her an apologetic look.

"Nah, there's no need to apologize," Whitney brushed the topic off. "I know, how that feels. I have a great idea! To make things up, let's go shopping tomorrow! I can show you around the city, if you like. There is an exclusive restaurant and the shopping mall is just great. Oh, not to mention the -"

Dawn had to suppress a yawn. "That's just great, but... can this wait until later?"

A little embarrassed, Whitney agreed and took her leave to the changing rooms. However, Dawn was still not allowed to just walk away on her own. Suddenly, the excited Marina ran up to her and fired questions at the fresh winner of the contest. "Dawn! How does it feel, to have won this ribbon? And against Whitney, the gym leader of this city!"

"Uh... I'm glad, I guess. And yeah, Miltank was quite the opponent," Dawn exclaimed, her voice giving away her wish of leaving fast.

"One more question, then I'll let you off the hook for now. We all saw you creating your bubbles and using them as your own stage for a while now, but never before you broke them in such a manner. Why? Is this some kind of introduction to a new style coming? Or -" Marina added to her speech, before Dawn had time to reply anything. "Or is it to make a statement, that your current low is over?!"

_I would love to tell her the truth,_ Dawn thought with a crooked smile. _But I don't think, it would be good for my career as a professional coordinator, if I told her, that I just wanted to work of my anger. _"I won't reveal anything yet. You'll just have to wait and see."

_But could this really be it?_ She wondered, while she made her way to the waiting room, where Nurse Joy would take care of Piplup. _Could this be the end of my low?_

* * *

At evening, when the sun already began to draw near the horizon and plunged the landscape in different shades of orange and red, Dawn and her Pokemon were in the National Park, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. Piplup and Pichu, together with Lopunny, Quilava and Pachirisu were happily playing around in the tall grass in the northern part of the park. Dawn watched them with a smile from a wooden bench not too far away. After they had received the ribbon, they had returned to the Pokemon Center. Finally, after a quick nap, the young girl felt refreshed.

In the distance, she could see a group of Machokes removing the remains of the stage and tribunes. There would be a Bug-Catching contest the next day and the workers wanted the park to be ready for it.

Watching them working so hard in order to accomplish their goal, Dawn couldn't help but wonder. What did she have to do, to achieve her goal, the title of Top-Coordinator? Hard work didn't seem to help - no matter how much they practiced, something would go wrong. Maybe she should try and be just as weary and ready to give up during the next contest, as she had been that day? Or rather filled with anger, because of some annoying people?

She hopped Marina was right. If that was the end of her current low, Dawn would be more than glad. But contests weren't the only problems lingering on her mind. Her thoughts always kept circling around a certain topic. Hunter J and Team Rocket. Somehow Dawn had a feeling, that she hadn't seen the last of those criminals, yet. And while another encounter with either of them meant life threatening danger to her and her Pokemon, it could also bring her the answers she was curious about.

_But the next time, _Dawn thought with a serious expression. _Next time I won't be as defenseless as I had been yesterday. Next time I'll stop them and her evil acts!_

* * *

And that was the chapter! Does anoyone recognize Marina? For the gamers (like me^^) that's Crystal. So this fanfic is basically a mixture of anime, games and manga - I can't hold them appart anyways, at least not regarding the information of Pokemon... Anyways, write ya next time!


	3. Not her day

Or: when the writer's a devil :3 Enjoy reading!

* * *

Finally, they did it. After travelling Route 37 through the summerly heat for hours since sunrise, Dawn, Piplup and Pichu arrived at Ecruteak City, the site of their next contest. From afar they had already seen the old, japanese styled shingle roofs, but now they were standing right in front of the archway that led into the city. A huge smile formed on Dawn's lips, as she took in the first sight of the historical capital of Johto. Not only the buildings were old-fashioned, some of the people walking on the streets wore yukata as well. The young coordinator could already imagine herself in one of those japanese dresses during her next performance. Of course, some of her partners could wear something like that as well...

Excited, the small group made their first steps into Ecruteak City, with Pichu sitting on Dawn's shoulder and Piplup walking next to her. "Phew, that was some adventure!" She exclaimed, exhaling relieved and wiped away some sweat on her forehead. "That Sudowoodo sure had some issues! Why did it keep stalking us? And where was its face? Creepy... I hope, it doesn't follow us anymore," She added and shot a glance over her shoulder, as if to make sure, that the rock-type was not behind them.

"Piplup Pi," The penguin nodded approvingly and folded its flippers over its chest. As Dawn had spotted a breathtaking view in the distance, she picked up her partner, so that it could have a better look.

"The Bell Tower! Doesn't it just look great? Aw, I wish, we could go up there. The view must be awesome!" She gushed, never letting her eyes of the tall building, which seemed to shine in the midday sun. "I wonder how -" Suddenly, the distracted girl bumped into something. She had been so occupied with the sight, she never noticed the older man, clad in a dark blue uniform, walking towards her.

"Young Lady," The police officer with grayish hair began with a slightly rough voice. "It is dangerous, walking around as inattentively as you do. Be a little more cautious, next time."

Dawn hadn't forgotten her last encounter with the police - the bitter taste of being placed in the same position as some notorious Pokemon hunter was still on her mind from time to time. And so she was slightly annoyed by the scolding, but did her best, not to show her displeasure. "Hehe, sorry," She apologized in a sheepish voice. As a reply, the officer only nodded and moved on together with his colleagues, whispering secretively all the while. Dawn shot a glare at their backs, her brows furrowed in irritation. "And what's his excuse for 'walking around inattentively'?" She muttered under her breath and added a huff to her sentence.

That distraction from her sightseeing spoilt her mood for the time being, but as she would soon find out, it was just the preparation for the coming events. Now, Dawn had time to take a look around and there were various peculiarities, she noticed. The atmosphere was not as relaxed and carefree as she had expected it to be; people seemed to return to their homes in a hurry. And there were police officers; many police officers. Some were huddled together in small groups, whispering with stern faces, while others almost sprinted through he streets. They all wore the same, sceptical expressions, as they eyed the pedestrians.

A bad foreboding stole into Dawn's mind and she felt her own expression darken. She changed the direction of her steps and quickened her pace, as her mind focused on one thought. In Goldenrod City, she had learnt how easily a contest could suffer under certain circumstances and she couldn't shake of the feeling, that Ecreteak City wouldn't be any different from before.

Only mere minutes later, when Dawn arrived at the beautiful building of the Kimono Dance Theater, her cheerful mood was ruined completely. Another, awfully familiar note was pinned on the wooden door.

"Until further notice canceled'?!" She read out the words aloud. "'Our sincerest apology, but due to a police emergency the Pokemon Contest has to be omitted'? You can't be serious! Its happening _again?!_ What is this stupid police emergency? Why can't they do something _right_ for a change?"

Frustrated, Dawn stomped her foot to the ground. Piplup and Pichu were slightly troubled by her sudden outburst, especially since the penguin was still trapped in her arms. With some effort, it managed to slip out of her grip and landed on the stone-flagged street next to Pichu. Both Pokemon looked up to their trainer and made sure, they were not too close to her legs.

Dawn's mind was racing all the while. She clenched her hands into fists until the skin became white and bit her lip. Her next ribbon was at stake and she _needed_ it, but all she could do was to wait for the police to solve their problem on their own.

_Or..._

With a determination, which she didn't show often during the past months, Dawn made a decision that would plunge her into a deep sea of trouble.

* * *

Nurse Joy of Ecruteak City was - like all of her sisters - a very helpful individual. She took care of exhausted Pokemon and humans, injuries and annoying questions. She didn't ask for gratitude, just for a few quiet hours per day. And so, she was leaning back behind her desk at the reception of the currently empty Pokemon Center and sipped peacefully of her freshly brewed green tea.

Until suddenly the once automatic glass doors burst open from the impact with a hurrying blue haired girl, a Piplup and a Pichu. Joy's eye brown twitched. Her peace had been shattered just like the entrance.

With some difficulties, Dawn managed to push herself of the pile that had once been the glass door and rubbed her back. A pained groan escaped her lips, when she reached a throbbing, soaked spot. "Piplup! Do I look like a target? Or did you just _slip _with your Aqua Jet?"

The penguin jumped up, put a flipper to the hip and pointed the other one at its trainer. "Pip piplup pipipiplup! Piii!"

"Sorry for my naïve belief, that you have your own, healthy legs - but that doesn't give you the right to slam me through the door, does it?! Just look at this mess!"

"Piiiiplup! Lup -"

"Excuse me," The annoyed voice of Nurse Joy interrupted the quarrel. She had made her way over to the trio and bent down right into Dawn's face. "But this is a _hospital_, not a ranch with a herd of rampaging Tauros. And neither are we approved of noise nor of vandalism. I suggest you go to the gym and waste your energy on roaring around over there, while I find out, how much the automatic glass doors cost."

The scowl on her face was just as intimidating as her voice and Dawn automatically backed away. "I'm sorry! Really sorry about that, it was an accident!" She tried to save her situation as well as she could. Obviously, the nurse she was talking to,was no ordinary Joy and Dawn didn't wish to let her annoyance grow into something worse. But she came with a purpose and without answers she wouldn't leave. "I know, this is not the best time to ask, but I need your help!"

"Are there corpses lying around?"

Dawn's eyes widened in shock and she stuttered a quick reply. "No- No of course not! I just have some questions - like what's this police emergency and how can I help? I really, really have to do something about it!" She hoped, the urgency in her voice would make the nurse understand her need. It didn't.

"Do I look like their secretary? Go and ask the police. There are enough of them running around like maniacs. I'm sure, you'll understand each other perfectly fine."

"They wouldn't let me help them," Dawn explained her reluctance to talk to the police. "But I can't just let them handle this problem on their own, because..."

"Because they don't do their job properly," Joy finished Dawn's sentence. A heavy sigh escaped her lips and the young coordinator could feel her relax slightly. "When did I become an informant? First for her, now this girl. Who's next?" Another sigh. "Alright, girl -"

_Girl?_ Dawn repeated her words mentally. Hadn't she already been called like that before?

"If you want to risk your life so badly, my suggestion stays the same. Morty, the Gym Leader is the better contact for chaos and mass attacks. Plunge yourself into danger with him far away from my center _and _my door. Understood?"

Dawn nodded with a slight frown and watched the nurse walk away, until a thought struck her. "What about the door?"

"First, I'll brush the shards away - I don't want to imagine how much more work I would have with them lying around. Second, you'll pay for it. But not now, I'm sure, we'll see each other again. When your life depends on it, that is."

Dawn suppressed a groan. Another problem to take care of. She pushed herself of the ground and already wondered about her luck of staying unharmed - until a painful sensation made her wince back and clutch her left hand. Some shards had dug into her skin and left shiny red cuts. Blood was already seeping out of the wound and burning pain shot through her arm, but Dawn didn't want to waste anymore time at the Center, especially not with that Nurse Joy around.

The young girl pressed a handkerchief against her palm and it didn't take long for the white fabric to absorb the blood. "Damn..." She hissed and felt anger against herself boil up, before she turned her attention to her partner. Piplup sat on a bench at the other side of the Center with its flippers crossed. "Piplup, let's go."

As the water type didn't show any sign of jumping up to join its trainer and turned its head to the side, Dawn felt her patience grow little. "Piplup, I don't have time to argue around. Come on!"

The one sided discussion reached an end, when the penguin spun around and faced the wall rather than its trainer. "Fine!" Dawn burst as she was overwhelmed by her emotions. "Stay here, I'll take care of it _myself._" With those words she picked up Pichu, which was still at her side and made her way to her next destination.

* * *

Dawn huffed, as she wiped the blood of Pichu's little black nose with another, clean handkerchief. Out of curiosity, the electic type kept sniffling the injury, causing small, uncontrolled shocks to jolt through her body. Although the bleeding had already stopped, she was afraid, anymore contact with Pichu would reopen the wound.

"Alright, Pichu. I know you hate it, but you leave me no choice," Dawn exclaimed and took Pichu's Pokeball with her left hand, ignoring the pain. Despite its frantic squealing, she retrieved the tiny mouse and brought her focus to the large, western styled double door off the gym. She frowned at the strange change in style; the shingle roof and the shape of the building were the only hints, that that house was part of Ecruteak City. Otherwise, the walls were thick and solid and without any windows. Right beside the entrance, there was a sign with the words "Ecruteak City Gym; Leader Morty, the ghost-type user" written with scribbled letters.

"Ghost-type, huh?" Dawn read aloud, but didn't give it to much thought. The previous ghost-type gyms she ever visited, were no different then most other ones and so the surprise was huge, when she swung open the heavy door of the gym and entered.

Impenetrable darkness and iciness waved toward her and seemed to swallow her presence. The only light in front of her shone ghostly in the distance, as if it was emitted from light blue flames. A distorted voice echoed from invisible walls, like the lamentation of the dead. "Challenger, do not seek any battles at this place, for the day of doom is near. Go away and commemorate the ones who have passed, for they might soon accompany your journey."

Her blood ran cold for a moment. _THIS is what I call a ghost type gym... I just hope the architect wasn't entirely allergic to light, _She thought and suppressed a shudder at the thought of battling at such a place, yet alone waiting for trainers to appear. "I am not here for a gym badge! I want to find out, what kind of police emergency is messing with my contest and bring doom to the culprits!" Dawn replied in a raised voice.

Silence filled the room for a second and Dawn was sure, she heard something breath in the darkness. "You may proceed to our holy ground. But will you find the path that leads you to your desire?" Suddenly, the door to the entrance swung shut with a bang and left the young coordinator trapped in the gloom.

As Dawn overcame her initial shock, a nervous laugh escaped her lips. "Aren't you a bit exaggerated?" She murmured and made her first steps towards the light. The darkness was so impenetrable, Dawn had to rely on her sense of touch only. She understood how unnerving that feeling had to be for challengers and wondered, how many actually made their way to the gym leader.

Each step she took raised her confidence slightly and Dawn was about to return to her normal pace. Until suddenly, she couldn't feel the wooden floor beneath her foot. Before she could even grasp the situation, yet react to it, she lost her balance and fell forward into the deep sea of darkness that seemed to swallow her existence. She could only scream, as the wind soughed past her.

Suddenly, an invisible force wrapped around her waist and yanked her upwards, until she once again felt the reassuring sensation of solid ground beneath her feet. Still shocked, she sunk to her knees and tried to catch her breath. By now, the young girl highly doubted, _any _trainer was able top reach the light. _How am I supposed to get through this? What was that in the first place?! _She wondered and though her inside was still paralyzed by that sensation, she stood up. Dawn came for a purpose and she would not give up that easily.

Much more cautious that time, she checked the ground in front of her, before she even thought about placing her foot firmly. Like that, she was able to find the narrow path, which would lead her closer to the light. It was a time-consuming task and Dawn could hear some whispers in the distance, but she refused rushing. _Alright, I think I am halfway through. Just a little longer, and then-_

"Welcome to the world of ghosts, challenger-san," suddenly, an old, scratchy voice sounded beside her and a blue will o wisp hissed through the air. Underneath it, there was something that reminded Dawn of an unwrapped mummy. Her insides froze and she let out a piercing cry - as well as jumping backwards into the nothingness.

Once again Dawn was pulled to a different place and although she knew, there wouldn't be any harm happening to her, the young girl couldn't help but squeeze her eyes shut. As soon as she made contact with the wooden floor, she let out the breath, she had held and allowed herself to relax.

A wave of relief washed over her, when Dawn saw the bluish flames floating in the air directly in front of her. Apparently, the gym leader had lost his patience and let her skip the dark path. Now she could see him standing some mere feet away, looking at her with a highly amused expression on his face. Morty was clad in a black sweater and a purple scarf that moved in a ghostly wind. Dawn couldn't help but envy him for his clothes as the cold was making her shiver slightly.

"Usually I wait patiently until the challenger finds his way through the dark, but today more urgent affairs need my concentration. We can skip the introduction as I am sure you know who I am and I know you very well, too, Dawn." Morty cut of any words, the young girl might want to address to him. When he saw the surprised expression on her face, he quickly silenced any questions. "I involuntary saw your battle against Whitney in Goldenrod City. Congratulation, by the way." Dawn raised a brow. She could feel a slight change in his mood at the thought of the energetic gym leader. "Now, you said you want to find out about this emergency. Before I tell you anything about it, I have to find out the reason you are doing this."

Finally Dawn had the chance to speak herself. For a moment, she felt slightly irritated about Morty's monologue. "As I mentioned, my contest is at stake. It was cancelled, so the only way to save it would be by taking care of this problem soon. I can't just let the police act on their own, I need to be _sure _there will be any success." After a brief pause, Dawn hastily added another aspect to her speech. "A-and I want to make sure, no one gets hurt and safety is preserved and so on."

She could feel Morty's amusement as well as surprise towards her words and a bitter taste filled Dawn's mouth._ I bet he thinks now, that I'm just a naive, egotistical brat, who doesn't show any respect towards the police. Great! My chances of competing in that contest are fading away._

"I am sure, certain police officers would be anything but happy about this lack of faith you display. But you are right to do so." It was Dawn's turn to feel surprised by Morty's statement. "My own experience showed me, that 'mere' Pokemontrainer are usually more successful than the police. Like that, I have no problems sending you against the threat that is hovering above Ecruteak City - if you have a convincing reason. Is your desire to save your contest strong enough to risk your physical and mental health and possibly your life? Or can you live without this one and try your luck at the next ones, which will take place?"

For a moment, Dawn hesitated. Were her reasons enough? She doubted, that anyone else would be convinced of them and wondered, why she should. Why should she risk her life for an event that would repeat itself in the future? After all, she still had enough chances to win the remaining two ribbons and even if she didn't, that wouldn't be her last Grand Festival, would it?

In the end, Dawn's self-doubts and her reasonable thoughts were futile. Her answer remained the same as it had minutes ago. "For me, they are more than convincing," Was her simple answer and she looked firmly into Morty's brownish purple eyes. A smirk appeared on his face, even a chuckle escaped his lips.

"That makes two semi-suicidical females. I'll look forward to your actions."

"Two?" Dawn asked, but that time the reply wouldn't come from the gym leader.

"Why is it, that whenever I meet you, your mind is filled with no rational thoughts but your contest? Are you an addict?" The cold, familiar voice of a woman spoke up from behind Dawn. The young girl stiffened and almost refused to turn around. Even when she finally faced the other person in the room, her eyes were shut for a few more seconds. As she opened them, she immediately took in the sight of the infamous Hunter J, standing with an unreadable expression on her face and her arms firmly crossed. Multiple flames floated around her and gave her appearance a ghostlike look.

Dawn felt her composure crumble. She spun around and glared at the gym leader. "What is that Pokemon Hunter doing here?! Is _she _the police emergency?!"

Morty still kept his irritating smirk on his lips. "Oh, you know each other. That should simplify the introduction. As well as complicating everything else."

The girls paid no mind to his comment, something he was slightly grateful for. Who knew, what the blue haired, not to mention hormone-driven adolescent was capable of?

"No, I am _not _the police emergency. If I was, then it would be a worst case scenario with international contingent of high-class agents and Pokemonranger, _girl._"

"I told you before, don't call me girl! I have a name, you know."

"And suddenly I have to treat you like an individual. I have to admit, I do like my title, but I have a name, too. Honestly, I don't think it's that hard to remember."

"That's not a name, it's a letter!"

"It's what I call a name."

"Really? What does it stand for, jerk maybe?"

That reply made J hesitate with her next words. A frown formed on her face and Dawn could feel her displeasure. "Looks like I overestimated you."

"Alright, you can stop arguing for now. I'm sure you find plenty of other opportunities in a separate room," Morty ended the quarrel and stepped between the two girls. "Dawn, you wanted to know about the situation. Well, a certain organization plans an attack on the Bell Tower to bring out Ho-oh. The police judges this as a treat to the citizens and plan to focus on their well-being. While this is necessary and important, I fear for the legendary Pokemon, which would be left out without enough protection. Pokemonrangers were asked, but they can't arrive at the right time.

That's why I am dependent on strong, talented trainers, who can protect Ho-oh, maybe even the Beast Trio and stop Team Missile."

Silence filled the dark gym for a moment, as nobody moved and the only noise was the flickering of the flames. Dawn's mind was racing as she tried to wrap the meaning behind her intent. A ruthless criminal, legendary Pokemon, _more _criminals and life-threatening dangers. _No need to worry, right?_ Dawn thought and was suddenly rather irritated of herself and her decisions.

"Do me a favor and stop calling Team Rocket by that name. Anyone in their right mind knows, that criminals don't change, especially not to this extent," J broke the silence with venom in her voice.

Morty shrugged and explained his reasons. "Who knows, maybe she doesn't know very much about the 'former' Team Rocket and their history. I don't want to confuse anything."

"I already know," Dawn interjected. She spoke the next words with such determination, as if she tried to convince herself. "But that won't change my decision. I will take on Team Rocket, no matter the consequences." Her fists were clenched and a slight shiver shook her body, but not because of the cold. Dawn was quietly bearing with the part of her mind that tried to stop her foolishness.

"As long as you won't regret it," Morty said, before he let out a sigh and faced both women. "There is another problem to solve, before I can let you run off with a clear conscience. I won't be able to accompany any of you on your mission, since my duties as a gym leader force me to stay here, but at the same time I cannot leave you alone. I have to take responsibility for both of you. In your case Dawn, I need to secure your well-being. As for you, J, your profession as a Pokemon hunter speaks for itself."

Dawn felt her heart sink. She had a certain idea, what Morty was indicating the thought alone made her shake in bad anticipation.

"That's why I think it would be for the best for you two to cooperate in a team. After all, your goals are similar and the enemy is probably well prepared for a counter attack. It would be the logical solution, if-"

"I will not work with her!" The two girls yelled simultaneously. They shared a fierce glare, before they brought back their attention to the gym leader. There was no reason in the world for Dawn to cooperate with the huntress _again_. Even if it meant fighting Team Rocket by herself, she refused to accept J as an ally.

Morty didn't show any emotional reaction, just stared at his two guests. Another sigh escaped his lips, before he spoke on. "Well, if you can't accept my terms, then I guess, I'll have to find other, better suited candidates."

The tension in the air rose and suddenly the sizzling noise of the flames seemed to become louder. Morty was obviously bluffing. He couldn't afford waiting any longer for help, or else he surely wouldn't cooperate with a Pokemon hunter. But Dawn still felt concerned. Morty radiated a threatening aura and she could only guess, what his reaction would be in case the two girls kept refusing his conditions.

"Now that I know who is responsible for this situation," Dawn tried to avoid his requirement. "I can just go to the tower by myself, without J. I know it's forbidden, but this case requires it, doesn't it?"

A smile appeared on Morty's lips, as if he already expected that suggestion to come up. "Even if you break the rules, you won't be able to fight Team Rocket. You will be teleported back here and stay trapped in my gym until the attack is over. When you said, your contest is important enough for you to risk your life, did you lie? Or is working together with J worse than death?"

That question took Dawn by surprise and for a few moments she remained quiet. She hadn't thought about that aspect for even a second and felt rather foolish, when Morty mentioned it. No matter how much dislike she felt towards the huntress, those emotions weren't worse than death. However, working with J did not suit Dawn's plans at all.

As the silence remained for even longer, she shot J a side glance. She had almost expected her to argue with Morty about his idea of them cooperating, the huntress however, simply stared at him with her arms crossed. J displayed her displeasure very well, so why didn't she say something?

"I won't stop you from fighting Team Rocket, J," Morty continued. "But remember, you came here on your own account to ask for a favor. If you don't take responsibility for her safety, I won't do it for your actions, either."

Confused, Dawn shot J a curious look and watched her reaction. The huntress noticeably tensed; her grip on her arms strengthened and her eyes narrowed. Yet, she still remained quiet, as if she pondered over her decision. The young girl rivet on Morty, who seemed to tense, too. His previous, nonchalant composure was gone, replaced by an uncharacteristic nervousness. His presence revealed the impatience of a man, who was running out of time.

"Morty-san, our heroic fighters against crime wish for your attendance," The raspy voice of an old woman suddenly interrupted the discussion and Dawn felt chills running down her spine. "And tell your guests to leave with you. It is not good to keep cursed beings as they are under your roof!"

The young girl took her time, to turn around and face the old woman that stood at the end of the narrow path. With her hunched, short body she was barely able to reach Dawn's waistline, but still made an eerie appearance. Her white kimono waved in the non-existent wind and the glass pearls around her neck reflected the cold light of the will o wisp floating around the sinister figure. Like many other elderly people, she had her hands folded behind her back and glared at the two girls out of narrowed, dark eyes. The wrinkled skin of her face, which looked like a crinkled, pale sheet, matched the picture perfectly.

"A ghost!" Dawn screamed terrified and remembered the mummy like figure on the path. How serious were the constructors, when they built the ghost-type gym?!

"Who are you calling ghost, little girl-san?" The woman asked with a dangerously low voice. "I am not ready to die yet. Don't put me in the same place as her." She pointed with her crooked index finger on a certain silver haired person.

"J?" Dawn whispered in disbelief and kept a close stare to the huntress. The only reaction she showed to the verbal attack was a mere narrowing of her eyes.

"Do I look that old for you, medium?" J asked in a dismissive voice.

"No, rather like a demon, which was banned from hell itself."

Dawn watched a crooked smile appear on J's lips as the huntress put a fist on her left hip. "Banned from hell itself, huh?" The younger girl felt relieved. For a moment, the ominous surroundings made her believe, that J was a ghost. Probably the old woman just sensed her ill intentions and interpreted them in such a way.

_Ghosts like these don't exist, right? I'm just overreacting, _The young girl told herself.

"Looks like I have no choice," The voice of the almost forgotten gym leader interrupted the discussion. "J, I heard that you _were_ not bad in you work as a hunter. At least you _had_ the reputation of accepting and performing any job, clients could ask for." The air around asked huntress changed. It became a dangerous, threatening promise. If Morty didn't choose his next words carefully, the consequences would be devastating. "If I ask you now, no, if I challenge you to protect Dawn with your life to prove the rightness of your reputation, will you agree to my conditions?"

The icy silence that filled the gym outshone any other, similar moment before. Not even for a second the two counterparts broke their glare. Dawn shuddered. She could only dream about the extent of J's fury and didn't wish to become a witness.

However, the situation was easing itself, when the huntress eventually decided to speak. "Will I agree? Well, that depends on how far you will go to attract my attention. Remember, it is _you_, who desperately needs my help. After all, I could decide to wait until Team Rocket caught Ho-oh and only then make my move."

Knowing, that there was no other way to convince the huntress, Morty let out a defeated sigh. "Fine then. I'll offer you both money and the protection against our local police. After the attack, you will be able to openly operate in our city, until the aftereffects of the mission have ceased. Is this enough to attract you attention?"

A satisfied smirk appeared on J's face and her mood brightened up clearly. "You really love your legendaries."

"There are things in the world, which are far more important than money, J," Morty gave a cold reply, his expression showing the disapproval of J's attitude.

The huntress merely shrugged, before she turned away. "I'll keep that in mind, when I'm out saving the turkey." She was about to leave over the dark path, when something stopped her. A voice, to be precise.

"And what about me? I still haven't agreed of working with her!" Dawn exclaimed with a risen voice and looked at Morty. However, he wasn't the one, who gave the cynic reply.

"That's actually fine with me. I don't need a little girl like you standing in my way. You'll probably end up in a fight with your skirt or start to panic because of a little scratch." Each word made Dawn's anger boil up inside her and despite the pain in her left hand she clenched her hands into fists. "No, I really don't need a pathetic, weak brat to follow me around."

The last sentence was enough for Dawn to hear. J had her full attention as the huntress shot a glance over her shoulder. Dawn looked straight into J's greyish blue eyes, her body trembling in rage, but her voice under cold control. "Then you'll have to bear with it. I will come with you and stop Team Rocket. And you, if I have to!"

"Oh, really?" J asked, her glare holding a challenging look, which Dawn endured without averting her eyes.

"What have I gotten myself into?" Morty asked with an irritated voice and prevent any discussion that otherwise might have occurred. "That's enough. My services are needed in another place, for another purpose than acting as your mediator. Haunter, let's go."

Suddenly, the blackness of the dark behind Morty seemed to melt into something visible, as a pair of purple, clawed hands emerged, quickly followed by the similar looking body of Haunter. The ghost type grinned widely at the people standing on the battlefield, when its eyes flashed in a pale blue. Not even a second later, Dawn felt a discarnate force yank her backwards through the gloom. But as fast as the sensation had begun, it stopped with Dawn landing a little shaken on the floor at the entrance.

Relief washed over her in tsunami like waves, when she saw the bright daylight, which shined through the now widely opened double doors. She didn't hesitate to step out of the cold, dark gym into the warming rays of the sun.

"If you desperately want to continue this quarrel, go ahead. But keep something in mind," Morty said, before he turned around to face the two women. "Soon you two will have to work as a team, while your life depends on the other. I wouldn't want to argue with that person." He was about to take his leave, as another thought came to his mind. "Don't forget your conditions in our contract. Or you'll have to take responsibility for it personally, Pokemon Hunter J."

That was no empty threat. It was a promise to let the silver haired woman experience equal suffering as Dawn might during their mission. It seemed to have a great effect on the huntress, as she noticeably tensed her muscles and huffed irritated as she watched the gym leader stared distrustfully J as endless thoughts wandered through her mind.

In the bright daylight, Dawn had a better view on the huntresses particular appearance. She didn't wear her usual uniform, but rather something that reminded of a military attire. Black boots and a greyish pair of camouflage trousers covered her entire legs, making the young girl wonder, how J didn't suffer a sun stroke in the heat. Although the upper part of her clothes appeared to be more suitable to such temperatures with a light grey shirt, it concealed every inch of skin below J's neck. Otherwise, J looked just as she did during Dawn's journey through Sinnoh - and that lack of changes raised her suspicion subconsciously.

"What do you want?" J asked with her angry greyish eyes resting on the younger girl. As after what felt like eternity there still lingered an awkward silence in the air, the huntress decided to put an end to it. "I don't see your penguin running around here. Did it get into a fight and lost it? I wouldn't be surprised."

"Stop underestimating my Pokemon!" Dawn replied with a raised voice, carefully anxious not to yell. "_Piplup _is fine and its whereabouts are none of you business." She tried her best to mimic J's cold tone and satisfied watched the huntress narrow her eyes in annoyance. Although the young coordinator wanted to spend as little time with her most disliked enemy as possible, the questions that haunted her for a week longed for answers. "So, this time you get paid for my survival, huh? I wonder, what were your reasons in the Ilex Forest? Did someone else offer you money?"

She carefully observed J's reaction to her guess, but had to find out, that the huntress didn't show any sign of getting caught.

"As I told you multiply times before: None of you business," was the cold reply.

"Oh, really? A few people believe something else and it is your fault I met them!"

"Has the little girl trouble with bad guys? I'm ashamed."

"No, it's a police officer, who is convinced that I am your assistant and that I help you sabotaging Team Rockets plans."

For a brief moment, J hesitated in her mockery. Although there was no visible sign in her body language, Dawn could feel a slight change in her demeanor. _What's that supposed to mean? Does she actually see me as an assistant, or is it something else? Can't she just spit it out already?_

J recovered quickly and her lips curved into a smirk. "I have to admit, police officers are a pain, especially the demented ones. You being my assistant? That's ridiculous."

"You're not denying, that you sabotage Team Rockets plans. Interesting. In fact, I know even more," Dawn exclaimed and while she said her next words, she made sure not to miss any reaction J might show. "You started hunting Pokemon here in Johto, but then you disappeared, only to come back and foil Team Rockets plans. I wonder, why? Did you annoy them so much that they decided to differ from their usual methods and catch you instead of strong Pokemon? But they failed and now you're trying to pay them back, am I right?"

Dawn wasn't sure, whether her speculation was right or not. All she knew, was that her words unleashed a blazing wrath within the silver haired woman. Her greyish blue eyes pierced Dawn's darker ones and she made a threatening step towards the younger girl. "You're wrong." Another step. Dawn's body decided, that a certain safety distance would be a wise idea. "Let me give you an advice, _girl_." She kept backing away from the huntress, until her back hit the adamant wall of the gym. Now she was at J's mercy, who was already towering right in front of venom in her voice would probably turn a Seviper into an envious green worm. "Don't stick your nose in my business. Just because we'll have to cooperate one more time, it doesn't make me an ally and it doesn't give you any right to show interest in my private life. If you keep up annoying me," J hissed and lowered her head until she was on eye level with Dawn, their faces mere inches away. "I will show you what the expression _mortal_ _enemy _actually means."

J kept up the pressure a little longer, as if to make sure, the words reached their effect, before she straightened up and took her leave. Still frightened, Dawn needed some time to regain her composure, while she watched the huntress disappear in the shadows of a narrow alley.

_That- was- close! I didn't expect her to explode like that,_ Dawn thought and let out a relieved breath. _But at least I made a little progress! I might have caused about a hundred more questions - not to mention J's intimidating fury - BUT still. Progress. Damn, if J didn't have the mood of a Gyarados, I might actually get some answers. But_ _at least I know, who I'm up against. And where they will attack. I'll save my contest in no time!_

It was then, a certain thought crossed her mind. _When _would Team Rocket attack the Bell Tower? Her right eye twitched. How could Dawn have forgotten such an important information? That was definitely one of those days, she wanted to kick herself for her stupidity. But there was still time, though. Precious time she didn't want to waste anymore.

_Alright, I have two options. Number one, I can follow J - she couldn't have gotten too far, finding her should be no problem. Not to mention how excited she will be to see me again, less than five minutes after she threatened me! Or I can take my time and search for Morty._

She was about to head to the police station, when the familiar popping sound of a Pokeball reached her ears, as well as the happy squealing of a certain Pokemon.

"Pi Pichupi!"

Apparently, the tiny mouse had found out, how to escape from the device and before Dawn had any time to react, it already dashed off into the alley, J had taken. Panic kicked in and immediately, Dawn chased after the energetic electric type. Soon, the cooling shadows of the buildings surrounded her.

"Pichu, come back!" She tried to command her Pokemon, but it didn't listen. It was so excited to see its "mother" again, that it even dodged the red beam, which would recall it into its Pokeball.

Dawn had to catch it quickly, before anything devastating could happen. She turned around a corner, avoided a lone wandering Psyduck and increased her speed for a final sprint, when she saw, that Pichu was a mere arm-length away. Pichu squeaked and took another turn to the right. Ready to grab it, Dawn reached forward and followed her youngest Pokemon into the next alley - and collided face-first with something hard, but compliant.

The force of the impact had moved the individual some steps backwards, but they were still standing. Dawn had an idea, who the person was she crashed into and she disliked the thought with every cell in her body. Reluctantly, she lifted her gaze of the light gray fabric of an otherwise comfortable shirt and met the furious glare of an irritated Pokemon hunter through a pair of shades with mirrored glasses.

"Let me repeat myself - but this time in a language even the most demented ones can understand," J hissed through her teeth and pushed the glasses of her nose. As quickly as Dawn could, she pushed herself of J's shoulders and backed away. Not even a second too early, as she soon found out. A fist almost connected with her jaw, followed by a vicious kick to her side. While the young girl managed to barely avoid all blows, which otherwise would have brought devastating consequences, she felt, that the assault had to end soon. Dawn used all her knowledge about timing, she learnt during her contest battles, just to strike at the right moment. When J tried to land a hit with her right fist, Dawn jumped to the outer side and grabbed her arm with both hands - even her injured one. Pain jolted through her body, but the coordinator wouldn't let go.

"Nice idea," J complimented her - and yanked the coordinator of her feet, towards her left fist. "But for a stupid purpose!" Dawn saw the hand inching closer to her face in rapid speed and reacted in the only way she knew; close her eyes and wait for the impact and the shocking pain.

And pain came - in the form of a bright yellow flash and a familiar bolt of electricity that jolted through the pair. Once again, excitement had won over Pichu and it had unleashed a very effective ThunderShock or even Thunder Bolt. Dawn couldn't tell the difference, though she didn't care, as long as she was able to back away from the huntress. Sparks danced around J's unmoving body and the young girl assumed, that the attack caused paralysis as a side effect. Seeing, that that was her only chance to calm J, Dawn hastily tried to explain her situation.

"Sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry, but I didn't come here to bother you again! I wanted to catch Pichu, because it ran off and since you said last time, that you didn't want it anywhere near you, I wanted to make sure, it stays ways from you, but it was faster then me, then I crashed into you - accidentally! And I'm - I'm really sorry about that!"

"That's enough!" J barked at her with a risen voice, then continued at a normal volume, while she flexed her strained muscles. "I am experienced enough to comprehend so simple coherences; you don't have to panic around like this. Pichu is more suited for the task, anyway. You can just stand at the sidelines and watch, that would fit you better."

"Why do you always have to belittle me? I am not weak!"

"No, you're very strong, indeed. I'm shivering in fear."

"Maybe I don't have enough strength to convince someone like you, but I can fight Team Rocket, with or without you!" Dawn exclaimed and watched the huntress cross her arms in front of her chest.

"I'm amazed how much self-confidence you put into your words," Was J's cold reply and it was clearly visible, that she hit a weak spot of Dawn. "You'll have enough time to prove your strength to me - as long as you stay out of my way." J was about to leave, but was held back by a not very pleasant remark.

"Actually, I do have a question," Dawn began, but received another icy glare. "Its not about you! I still don't know, when Team Rocket will attack, so if you could just tell me, then -"

"Tomorrow night," J quickly interrupted her, without any changes in her expression. "Until then, you can relax."

A bittersweet smile crept on Dawn's face as she watched the huntress walk away. "That's very thoughtful of you, J, but I would prefer it, if you told me the truth. When will they really attack?"

J froze in the middle of her next step, obviously surprised by the statement. Pichu had enough time to climb her clothes and seat itself on J's shoulder. After what felt like eternity, the silver haired woman turned around and faced the younger girl. "How do you know I didn't tell you the truth? Did you lie to _me_, when you asked me about the time?" Dawn just shook her head in response and watched J narrow her eyes. "Then how?"

"I just know, when someone lies. And I would be very grateful, if you didn't do it again."

Once again, the two females were surrounded by complete silence, only interrupted by the satisfied squealing of Pichu. That was, until J grabbed the little electric type and tossed it over to Dawn, whose good reflexes allowed her to catch it. "You have a perfect timing. The attack will be tonight at the Bell Tower. Do yourself a favor, before you go there and take care of your hand. I won't take responsibility for scratches."

* * *

About one hour after her last interaction with J, Dawn sat in front of a little coffee shop and sipped at her iced coffee to cool off herself from the weather and the past , she rubbed the fresh bandage around her left palm and remembered the rather silent, yet annoyed reaction of Nurse Joy as Dawn reluctantly asked for her help. She would have been glad, if she had been able to leave without any further delays, but there was another major problem waiting for her, still seated at the lobby.

A tired sigh escaped her lips, at the thought of her partner. Piplup was still mad at her for running away from the Kimono Dance Theater without warning. Ever since their last attempt at the Grand Festival, their bond had fallen victim to several disputes. While Piplup felt neglected or even _betrayed _by its trainer's lack of belief in their powers, Dawn had to suffer under its chiding or physical attacks. As good as her understanding of Piplup's emotions was, she couldn't just ignore her own anger boiling up inside her, whenever she was soaked by another whirlpool.

That time, however, one of its attacks caused the young girl more than just the trouble of pain. Thanks to the Aqua Jet that hit her in the back, a devious bill for a broken automatic glass door hung over her head like a guillotine. Dawn hadn't told her mother just yet about the charge - but she had to, as she herself wouldn't be able to afford it otherwise.

Thus asking for Piplup's forgiveness was not a pleasant option to the blue haired trainer, as the occasional throbbing pain in her back reminded her.

On the other hand, Dawn always fought side by side with absolute trust in her first Pokemon partner and that time, with Hunter J and Team Rocket around, she wished for its presence more than ever before. Even if it was against her liking, both for the sake of their safety and, more importantly, their friendship, she had to talk to Piplup again.

_That should be easy - IF we weren't so irritable. Honestly, I don't think its THAT great, when Pokemon and trainer are alike!_ Dawn thought and let her forehead sink onto the back of her hands. Piplup, however, was not the only Pokemon in her party, which decided to cause her more trouble than necessary.

Feeling rejected by its "mother", Pichu made a ruckus with lots of biting, clawing, shocking and noises. It tried desperately to return to J, nuzzle its head against her chest and hear some reassuring words, that she didn't abandon the tiny mouse, that she loved it with all her heart. None of Dawn's attempts of calming Pichu were successful and in the end she had to leave the tiny mouse to the more suitable paws of Lopunny.

She didn't blame Pichu; it couldn't know the ruthless, cruel Pokemon Hunter J as good as Dawn did. That woman was, without a doubt, not even capable of comprehending those pure emotions. Otherwise she wouldn't be able committing the crimes, she made a living from. But there was no way to tell Pichu about those facts, as it would upset it even more.

When Dawn straightened up, she noticed the peaceful melody of a harp accompanied by Nando's soft voice, coming out of the radio of the coffee shop. She let her gaze wander to her notebook, which was packed with sketches, doodles and, of course, notes. That particular page she was staring at, contained a long list of mysteries and information about J, Dawn could think of.

However, that only raised more questions, than it answered. Although Dawn might find some explanations on her own, like an old article about J's miraculous survival during the explosion at Lake Valor, her sources were limited. And she highly doubted, any of them could supply her with information about the reasons of the huntress.

The only way, to gain that kind of knowledge, seemed to be through J herself and Dawn knew, how she had to approach the huntress; by making assumptions and sense slight changes in her emotional composure. The risks of such interests in J's personal life didn't leave her mind the entire time. Nonetheless, the young girl was willing to try it.

Her own motivation was not just curiosity - in that case she would think at least twice, before she decided to anger the violent woman. Constant worries bothered her. _Why _did J help Dawn? Who would gain what kind of benefit of her survival?

The young coordinator was afraid of being dragged into a different world, full of dangers and problems, which would foil her own plans. And she certainly wouldn't allow any other burdens on her troublesome way of becoming Top-Coordinator.

Soon, Dawn finished her iced coffee and was about to head back to the Pokemon Center, when a light blue flash caught her eye. A Garchomp, using the devastating attack Dragon Rush, dove with rapid speed onto the paralyzed pair of a Pidgeot and a Bayleaf. At the right side of the stage stood the familiar figure of a pink haired coordinator, her lips curved into a confident smirk. The TV of a nearby shop for electronics displayed the last seconds of Ursula's final battle at the Sinnoh Grand Festival and her grandiose victory.

Dawn felt a bittersweet sting in her heart and frowned at the monitor, before she increased her pace.

"..._And that was the stunning rise of the latest Top-Coordinator! In our next topic, we will hear the professional opinion of a famous expert, discussing those rumors about the questionable relationship of May and..._" The female moderator of the TV show narrated, her voice quickly drowned out in the chatter of the pedestrians.

_If I hadn't failed in the first round that time, Ursula would have never succeeded!_ Dawn thought, but hastily interrupted herself mentally. _No, what am I thinking. She deserves that title, she deserves it! Its me, who hasn't improved, Ursula has nothing to do with it, right? _She desperately tried to convince her overconfident self, which kept claiming her putative victory.

That inner dilemma haunted her until Dawn stepped through the now doorless entrance of the Pokemon Center. It wasn't the first time, she had to fight her big-headed character and like all those times before, her attempts were futile, leaving her with a sour taste in her mouth. Just when did she become so arrogant?

"If it isn't the vandal," The sarcastic voice of the local Nurse Joy drew Dawn's attention to her sitting form behind the desk. "Your mother called, she desperately wants to talk to her daughter. You're not a run-away child, are you?"

The young girl noticeably stiffened. During her intensive training, she completely forgot to call her mother once in a while. She was about to rush over to a phone, when Nurse Joy interrupted her once more.

"You should be-" She began, but quickly changed her choice of words. "I haven't told her about the, door yet. You have the honor to do so. Now, don't disappoint me."

Dawn could already feel the lump in her throat and anxiousness rise withing her. There was no desire on her part, to tell her mother more than necessary, thus she felt slightly relieved to have a good reason to stall some time. She took an attentive look around the lobby of the Center, but couldn't spot her Pokemon anywhere.

"Where are Piplup, Pichu and Lopunny?" She asked Nurse Joy sheepishly.

The pink haired woman didn't face Dawn, as she was busy with some files. "They went to the training fields in the back to play."

Dawn only nodded. She thought about joining her Pokemon, but decided against that idea. She could imagine, how hard it would be, to gather the necessary courage and call her mother eventually. The sooner she got over it, the faster she could concentrate on the next task; making up with Piplup and the fight against Team Rocket. Thus the young girl let herself slump down on the seat in front of the monitor of the phone and dialed the number of her own home.

The screen turned on and immediately showed the curve of a normal heart rate accompanied by the common beeping noise. Confused, Dawn blinked at the display, before a frown appeared on her face. Apperantly, Nurse Joy had changed the settings of the phone. _What a great sense of humor,_ She thought annoyed, when the heartbeat increased highly, indicating the connection of the phones.

But it didn't take the other person at the other side of the line too long, to accept the call. The screen flashed and showed the smiling face of Johanna. Although she hadn't have many opportunities to think calmly about her mother, Dawn felt relieved to see her save and sound.

"Finally I get to see you on a different screen!" Johanna joked and drew a chuckle from her daughter.

"Yeah, sorry I took so long. I was busy. For how long didn't we talk? One or two weeks?"

"You mean a whole month, dear."

"A whole mo-" Dawn gasped and watched her mother's expression become more serious.

"Dawn, you should really stop concentrating that much on your contests. You're blocking out the whole world! That's the reason, I think you should take a long break," Johanna claimed and didn't give her daughter any time to respond. "I've heard the news about the Ecruteak contest. It was cancelled, right? Because of some police matters."

"Yes!" Dawn was quick to chip in. "But I'm already taking care of it myself. I'll be participating in no time, so no need to worry."

"I'll never get tired of this sentence, but whenever you tell me _not _to worry, that's the time I worry most. For good reasons. This police emergency sounds awfully dangerous to me, you should leave it to the experts to handle."

Dawn sighed. She hadn't thought about her mother's reaction to that plan yet, but the objection was no real surprise to her. If she didn't believe in Dawn's strength, how was she supposed to do so?

"By the way, where is Piplup?" Johanna asked curiously, her eyes searching the visible parts of the lobby.

"Its outside, playing with my new partner, Pichu. I just caught it about a week ago." _And that's when my other problems actually started, _She added in her thoughts, but had no intention, to tell her mother about Hunter J or Team Rocket at all.

"I see. When do you plan to use it in a contest?"

"Uh..." Since Dawn didn't feel like Pichu really belonged to her, she had difficulties to answer that question. However, there was no need to do so, as a familiar, blue Pokemon jumped in front of the screen.

"Piplup!" It happily chirped with a happy face and acted, as if it tried to hug the display of Johanna.

"In great shape as always, Piplup! Nice to see you," Johanna smiled at the penguin, while Dawn felt uncharacteristic panic rise within her. Her voice showed her nervousness at Piplup's appearance.

"Yeah, Piplup. How - how is Pichu anyway?" Dawn didn't want to get into a fight with her partner, in front of Johanna. It would just raise her suspicion and objections. Piplup, however, wasn't fond of that idea at all. It huffed at its trainer and faced the other direction, its flippers firmly crossed. It was enough, to push the already irritated coordinator over the edge.

"Stop acting so spoilt already!"

"Piiiiiiiplup! Piplup pi Piplup LUP!"

"You-!"

"That's enough!" Johanna's loud voice put an end to the quarrel and she glared at her daughter. "Dawn! I see, you had another fight with Piplup. Was it because of some impossible move, _again_?"

"No - no it's not like that," Dawn replied with both her hands risen in a defensive stance. "We were just-"

"What happened to your hand?" Johanna asked in a dangerously low voice, her brow's furrowed. Suddenly, the young girl felt as if a block of ice froze her inwardly.

"Yo-you mean my right hand?" She quickly hid the bandaged one behind the desk. "Nothing, see?"

"Dawn, you're not a kid anymore! I mean your left one, the one with a bandage wrapped around the palm."

Averting her eyes, the young girl let her shoulders slump down in defeat."I cut it, accidentally..."

"And how?" Johanna pressed her daughter, as she stopped talking.

"With... with some shards..."

A sigh. Then Johanna posed the final question. "And why were there shards?"

Dawn didn't want to tell her mother, why there were shards. The silence lasted for half a minute and the young girl was unable to shake off that uneasy feeling and find her voice again. The burden of confessing to her mother, however, was easily lifted of her shoulders, as someone else interfered their conservation.

"That's because your daughter managed to smash my glass door into pieces and she still has to pay for it," Nurse Joy interjected with an almost casual voice as she stood behind the terrified girl. Dawn could only try to stutter some inaudible words. "I gave you a chance, you didn't use it. And since you told me, you couldn't afford it, I had to take things in my own hands, don't you think?" With those harsh words, the doctor took her leave.

"Aha," Johanna said, disappointment evident in both her mimic and voice. "And when did you plan to tell me about that?"

_Never_, Dawn replied inwardly, but otherwise kept quiet. Her mother obviously didn't even want to hear the answer, as she had already the next question ready.

"What happened? I don't just mean, how you broke down the door, but _why_ you did that."

Dawn already knew, that any argument wouldn't save her from that situation, so she gave in and told her mother the whole situation about the contest, her rush to the Pokemon Center and part of her appointments with Morty - except of Hunter J and Team Rocket. They were replaced by any enemy, Dawn had already fought before.

"But as you see, it was not just my fault. If Piplup didn't-" She tried to split some of the blame, but as she immediately found out, that plan backfired at her immensely.

"Dawn!" Her mother almost yelled, her fury clearly audible in her words. "That's enough! If you didn't focus so much on those _damn _contests, you wouldn't act that way!

"But Mom, I-" Dawn tried to interrupt her mother, but to no avail.

"If you don't want or even _can't _change that attitude, then I'll have you to quit overall!" Johanna exclaimed, serious about her words.

"You don't know how important they are to me-"

"Oh, I know. More important than your closest partners! This is no behavior I can tolerate-"

"Of course you can't!" Dawn yelled, her patience at an end. "You are already a Top-Coordinator, you made it! You don't have to worry about your next performance, you don't have to fight with your competition, because you don't even _have_ one! You don't have to watch all of your friends achieving _your_ goal, while you only sit at the sidelines and watch! How could you ever understand, how I feel?!"

Before her mother had any chance to brace herself after Dawn's outburst, she cut the connection, accompanied of the sustained beep of a stopped heart and sat in her chair, shaking with anger and immediate regret. She regretted the direction, their conservation took, she regretted blaming Piplup and she regretted yelling at her mother. Obviously, her most trusted partner could feel the change in her emotional composure and chirped saddened.

"Sorry Piplup," Dawn apologized, her remorse clearly displayed in her voice and teary eyes. She let her head sink onto the cold desk and felt relieved at the touch of Piplup's flipper on her temple. "Its simply not my day."

* * *

And that's it! Well, I still hope it was worth waiting^^ Poor Dawn. This chapter actually started with only one problem overall and that's J and the mission. But I sure hope, the other ones shed some light about Dawn's background :D Or at least the existence. Well, you'll find out.

Until that: Write ya next -

J: That sentence doesn't even make sense!

Me: But I like it, sense or not... It's like a pun with "see ya next time" and since I'm a writer -

*Salamence used Hyperbeam*


End file.
